Now we are at the end of the year 2009 and to reflect on what I have achieved this whole year photography-wise, I am pleased to share with you my 12 best images that I took this year. It is just my own personal judgment. No professional judge is involved. After all it is all my picture
The best 12 pictures for the year 2009 are as follows (in no particular order):

1. Mannequins in headscarf
The picture above was taken at a shop dealing in headscarves and muslim dress in Kuala Lumpur. I like the vibrant colours of the whole scene but what particularly attracted me to shoot this scene was the row of mannequins which looked surreal to me. The selective focussing was achieved by using Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens.

2. A lady manning a sundry shop
This lady was so engrossed in her telephone conversation so much so that she was oblivious to the surrounding that someone was taking her picture. I just liked the candid moment and framed her against a wide variety of goods in her sundry shop at PJ Old Town wet market.

3. Shadow of spectators
This picture was taken at the First Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta which was held from 19 to 22 March 2009 in Putrajaya. I was attracted to a group of spectators which formed the silhouette against the hot air balloon envelope. I quickly shot from inside the balloon envelope while it was being inflated. This picture was published in Advanced Images Photography & Digital Imaging Magazine Issue #43 on Get Inspired! page.

4. Hot air balloons flying over Putrajaya
This was taken on the last day of the event in the late evening. Fortunately the weather was very fine on that day when the sky was deep blue and the sun cast the warm, beautiful light that no photographer is able to resist shooting such scene.

5. Beautiful pattern
The colourful pattern above belongs the ceiling of one of the participating hot air balloons. Whenever the flame was pumps in it heated the whole area inside the balloon envelope. The hot air diffracted the light and this resulted in wobbly lines on the pattern in the picture above.

6. KLIA Mosque in a frame

7. TM Tower
Among my pictures of TM Tower I love this most. TM Tower looks a little different at this angle and it doesn’t seem to resemble the actual TM Tower.

8. Descending the steps
This lady who was a foreign tourist visiting the National Mosque was descending the steps on the way out. As I have already prepared to include human element in the picture of the steps I quickly fired the shutter the moment I saw her walking down in a hurry. This picture was selected to be published by National Geographic December 2009 issue, US Version.

9. Putrajaya at the magic hour
These two iconic landmarks of Putrajaya were bathed in the warm sunlight of the late evening or the magic hour on photographic term. The cloud added more interest to the scene.

10. A string of tents
This string of colourful tents belonged to hawkers who were given temporary licence to sell food, clothes and household items in preparation for Eid festival. It looked endlessly long snaking through between two rows of shophouses along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

11. The job that requires true fitness!
This strenous job seems to require the worker to have “true fitness”.

12. Jeram Toi Waterfall
This was taken in Jeram Toi, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan. What I loved most about this waterfall shot was its lighting which was quite dramatic.


