Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah

Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah (Siti Khadijah Central Market) in Kota Bharu is arguably the most oft-photographed market in Malaysia. Perhaps it is because of its unique architecture. The market is housed in a 3-storey, octagonal building which has translucent dome roof with its spiderweb-look frame.

This allows sunlight to penetrate and illuminate the central area on the ground floor where the wet market is located. And this is also where the familiar scene of the market activities are normally captured by photographers, professionals and amateurs alike, thanks to the ambient light that provides interesting and even lighting on the pretty large area.

Kelantan other than Terengganu is famous for its enterprising ladies. Most of the traders in any market in Kelantan are ladies and at Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah it is no exception. Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah was formerly known as Pasar Besar Buluh Kubu. It was Tuan Guru Dato’ Hj Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat the Kelantan Mentri Besar (chief minister) who aptly changed its name to Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah after he took over the Kelantan State Government in 1990. Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah was named after the first wife of The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Siti Khadijah (r.a) who was a very successful businesswoman herself. It was also a mark of recognition to the enterprising Kelantanese ladies who occupy most of the stalls and shops at the central market.

I have intended to photograph the market for quite some time before but I didn’t get around to doing it whenever I went to Kota Bharu until 2 weeks ago when I managed to spare some time to capture the interesting market scene. However because I went on Friday which was a weekend in Kelantan the activities were less busy than usual and some traders closed their stalls.

Nevertheless I was happy I managed to bag several decent photos that I am able to share with you here for your viewing pleasure. Hope you enjoy viewing it!

Inside - wet market located on the ground floor.

Outside the market complex

Outside the market complex

For bigger picture please check out my photo blog thanks to Monotone newly introduced by wordpress.com.

Penang - Pearl of the Orient

Penang still maintains it charm and uniqueness when I paid her a brief visit recently. I also found the people there very friendly and helpful.  Hope the new state government will spare no effort in improving its cleanliness and preserve its title as Pearl of the Orient.  I am pleased to share some snapshots of Penang here for your viewing pleasure.

Smoky KOMTAR?
KOMTAR used to enjoy the status of The Tallest Building in Malaysia before The Petronas Twin Towers came along.

Rows of pre-war shophouses with KOMTAR as the brackground.

A lady cook at work.

Door with abundant Peranakan decoration.

Ubiquitous pre-war shophouses that have become one of prominent identities of Penang.

A street performer at Gurney Drive.

 

 

Virtual Photography Coffee Table Book

Do you wish you could browse a very thick coffee table book that contains legendary photographic works by masters and legends in photography to get inspired? Legends that I mean are the real photography legends like Ansel Adams, Richard Avedon, Immogen Cunningham, Walker Evans and many more. I don’t think this type of coffee table book, that gather works of so many masters of photography in a single book, is available in the market and even if it were available it must cost you a bomb, arms and legs! You would rather add to your lens collection or change your camera body instead of forking out your hard-earned money just to gaze at photographs in a very pricey coffee table book.

However let me tell you dear readers, your wish has come true BUT not the real book that you could hold, carry anywhere you like and cuddle while you are asleep.

It is a virtual coffee table book but let me promise you it is virtually as good as the real one since it was designed just like a real book when you can turn page by page at your own pace and where every page comprises only a picture just for you to admire and get inspired.

Besides pictures by the masters and the legends you could also read their simplified biography provided in the book for each photographer. I have just told you it is like a real coffee table book. A coffee table book is never meant to be seriously read but it is meant to be looked at.

Enjoy reading and looking at the virtual coffee table book entitled “Fine Art Photography - Gallery & Forum”

My Brothers’ Presence On The Net

I have three brothers and a sister. Two of my brothers are actively utilizing the Internet in advancing their respective interests. The one immediately after me who always fought with me at the slightest difference of opinion while we were small is now a medical doctor, Dr. Ahmad Hapizi Abdullah. Besides practising his modern medical treatment that he learned at medical school he is now promoting alternative ways of treating his patients through holistic treatment. Please feel free to visit his blog at rawatan-holistik.blogspot.com. His blog introduces, promotes and discusses holistic treatment as an alternative or complementary treatment.

Another brother is Ahmad Hanizam Abdullah, a bank officer, who is very passionate about his newly found pastime - mushroom. He even set up a blog discussing mushroom, gathering like-minded people who have the common interest, providing tips on how to grow mushroom and he is also running mushroom and mushroom-related business in his blog! Take a peek at his blog at cendawanglobal.blogspot.com.

I wish you all the best in your respective area of interest bros!

Arthur Teng’s Latest Solo Exhibition

Arthur Teng, a multiple award-winning Malaysian photographer is holding his latest solo exhibition entitled “A New Beginning” starting 12 April 2008.

Please refer to the exhibition poster below for details and the location map of the venue, Badan Warisan Malaysia.

BBC Photography Portal

I didn’t know that BBC had a special section for photography until I accidentally found it through Google. Yes again Google wields its power. Anyway BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) dedicates a special section for photography which it calls BBC Photography Portal. It provides lots of pictures by mostly professional photographers and photojournalists in its gallery. Besides it has its pick of the month and its current theme is Genius of Photography. This is a great opportunity to gaze at some legendary works by those photography genius which are not easy to find.

You can also learn a lesson or three in its tips section aptly entitled How To Take Good Photos by a renowned travel photographer Tom Ang. It covers various genre of photography by providing good tips for beginners as well as advanced amateurs. On top of that there is also a gallery of buildings in where else - Britain.

By and large it is an interesting and enlightening photography portal that I would love to recommend it to you, dear readers. It is worth visiting.

Masterpieces of Almarhum Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah

I believe not many fellow Malaysians know that one of the pioneers in Malaysian photography was the then Sultan of Terengganu, His Majesty Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah (1907 – 1979). His Majesty was the 15^th Sultan of Terengganu and the fourth Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (the Supreme Ruler) of Malaysia. His Majesty was also the grandfather of the present Sultan of Terengganu who happens to be the current Malaysia’s The Yang Dipertuan Agong, Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah.

His Majesty’s legacy - a large collection of photographs mostly in negative and a couple of prints which were printed by His Majesty himself were collected and selectively chosen for printing by a collector/custodian, Raja Mohd Zainul Ihsan Shah (Raja Ihsan). Raja Ihsan did extensive research on His Majesty’s photographic works. He self-imposed strict controls on each stage of the process from selection of photographs to be printed, choice of paper and right up to the final stage, printing. The printing was done with deliberate care and expertise, with pre-requisite that it truly reflects the printing philosophy of His Majesty himself. Little wonder Raja Ihsan took about 10 years to come up with the exhibition of His Majesty’s works whose online version is available permanently in a website sponsored by MIR Communications Sdn Bhd.

Looking at His Majesty’s photographic works I feel as if I had time-travelled back to Terengganu, my homestate, at the moment the photographs were taken. Each photo stimulates my mind and stirs my curiosity prompting me to know and see more of the scene captured. But I later realize that the scene has been long gone. It was taken more than 50 years ago. That I believe the power of a strong photograph. The one that can leave lasting impression in the viewers’ mind or as William Cheung, the ex-editor of Practical Photography Magazine puts it the type of photographs that jump out and hold you by your neck!

I wish I could see more of Terengganu images as very few photographs have been taken of Terengganu or of even Kuala Terengganu at that period of time. According to the collector/custodian Raja Ihsan in the preface of the website the period that the exhibition covers is between 1948 and 1958 which happens to be the important time in our country’s history culminating in the achievement of independence from the British colonial rule in 1957. This serves to show the power of His Majesty’s photographs which act not only as art pieces that stir your emotion and stimulate imagination but also become highly treasured documentation of the past.

I would like to congratulate YM Raja Mohd Zainul Ihsan Shah for the job well done. He has successfully salvaged and collected the priceless masterpieces and placed them where they should belong for the new as well as future generation to learn and appreciate their heritage.

Please feel free to view His Majesty’s masterpieces HERE and enjoy your time-travel

Note to YM Raja Ihsan
Dear YM Raja Ihsan,
If you happen to read this blog of mine, I would appreciate it very much if you could contact me by replying to this blog with your latest email address or you can email me directly at mzabdullahATgmailDOTcom. I tried to email you but the message bounced back as the email address provided in mir website doesn’t seem to be valid anymore.
Thanks.

My all-time best 24 pictures

Bazuki first suggested this when I first met him after his photo talk at UPM way back in 2004 if my memory serves me perfectly. At that time Bazuki was not as glamourous and widely-known as now. Photography then was still the hobby of the esoteric and digital photography especially in DSLR department was still at its infancy. In fact DSLR was beyond most people’s wallet.

Bazuki suggested that we always maintain our all-time best 12 photos. “The collection should not necessarily be 12 but somewhere around that number” he said. And it could act as a motivator and even a challenge to us to keep producing better photos than those already in our collection of the best 12. It made perfect sense to me and I thought why didn’t I give it a try and see how it worked.

It works for me and believe me, it is fun. At least I can show anybody that, these are my 24 all-time best photos (best to my eyes and based solely on my judgment - they are all my own pictures anyway).

It was actually not easy to start. I had hard time to choose which photos were good ones which people could at least consider it presentable among a few hundreds in my collection at that time. I started with my best 12 as recommended but subsequently expanded to 24 photos as of now.

I am pleased to present my all-time best 24 photos in no particular order as below and hope you enjoy viewing it. Feedbacks are welcome.

Pic #1 | Stack of Colours

Pic #2 | My Little Son

Pic #3 | Tranquil Morning

Pic #4 | The Putra Mosque By The Lake

Pic #5 | The Putra Mosque In The Frame

Pic #6 | Polka Dot Steps

Pic #7 | The Federal Territory Mosque

Pic #8 | Lady Enjoying Nature

Pic #9 | Welcome To Kuala Lumpur

Pic #10 | Kuala Besut In The Morning

Pic #11 | The Petronas Twin Towers In The Frame

Pic #12 | The Dayabumi Complex

Pic #13 | ShoppingFor Headscarves

Pic #14 | Red, Yellow & Blue

Pic #15 | Bukit Belacan

Pic #16 | Bride Mannequin

Pic #17 | An Angler Family

Pic #18 | Air Asia Stewardess

Pic #19 | A Lone Water Lily

Pic #20 | Masjid Abidin

Pic #21 | Jalur Gemilang In Water Drops

Pic #22 | Fully Symmetrical

Pic #23 | Fish Silhouette

Pic #24 | The Putra Mosque At Sunset

Masjid Abidin - Part II

A few more pictures of the Abidin Mosque a.k.a Masjid Abidin a.k.a Masjid Puteh.

Click here for Masjid Abidin Part I

I welcome any comments and criticism. Please feel free to visit more of my mosque and architectural photos at my pbase photo portfolio. Most of my images are for sale and you can buy any of the photos directly from the stock photo agency - acclaimimages.com

Vincent Laforet

If I was asked to name a photojournalist who is able to tell a story in each of his picture while capturing beauty at the same time it must be Vincent Laforet.

Well, he was not awarded with the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for nothing.

You can enjoy viewing his portfolio here and read his interview here.