Suffice to say, photography is fast becoming more than just a hobby. In fact, I never took photography seriously then. Started out as a casual photographer with a simple point and shoot, I have gone on and not look back ever since trying out new cameras (especially DSLRs). Being inspired by other fellow photographers to push and spur myself on.

Lately, I’ve been moving towards Macro photography, and particularly intrigued by the little creepy crawlies and bugs. Not to mention that it really tests my patience, and having no absolute clue of how they behave (now I do, after a quick Google) and being respectful of the environment I am in. After all, I am invading the bug’s space and environment. Its beautifully rewarding to look at the photograph afterwards.

To aid my learning journey towards immersing myself in nature, I’ve bought a set of outdoor gear and shoes, so as to make myself comfortable amidst the mud, dirt, and what not in the forests or some nature reserve. (I hope to make it back alive in one piece to tell you my adventures). The nature and photo bug bites.

The learning journey never stops, and to me, each photograph is a unique captured moment of time.

Nicole

My photography journey with Shutter Journey (Singapore) Photography Group started when I first answered the call to attend “Reflections” outing. I could still recall how Allan said that it’s the most difficult theme I’ve picked. Oddly, I felt bold enough to try.

And these are some of the photos I’ve shot in answering the challenge. Well, that first was certainly not my last outing with the folks of SJS.

The next shot that followed was a trip to Starz Restaurant, to feast upon the food with our taste buds, and being able to photographed these yummilicious looking food. They ended up in our stomachs, but not before being terrorized by the cameras. I remembered fondly with all that laughter surrounding the dinner.

Through each different theme outings or photo walks, there are always new things for me to learn from fellow photographers, and improve my shooting skills as I go along. It’s a humbling journey for me, given that I had no formal background or training of sorts, but just took the plunge and learn through trial and error.

Take the limited shoot series for example… one of it I attended was using auto mode without flash light for night photography… and the results were pretty amazing, though blurred shots were common

And another night shoot at Fort Canning…

It was really eye opening to be roaming Fort Canning at night, of course, minus the spooks

Apart from night photography that are held almost every Wednesday evenings, interesting outings are held every Sunday. Sunday outings takes one to familiar places, and little nooks and cranny of Singapore. Think of it as Singapore Explorers of sorts.

Sunday outings usually garner a large group of photographers, which would be quite a sight when we swarm upon a location to shoot. The element of fun, laughter and of course, food!

Let me show you more images from the various outings:

ToyArt – where toys are the subjects, amidst Vivocity. We were quite a sight, and many were wondering what are we big kids doing with toys. Boy that was really a blast.

Kallang Stadium shoot was a trip down memory lane, a road of nostalgia… given that the grand dame has been sealed and being torn down to make way for the new Sports Hub…

Another location would be the KTM Railway Station…

I also tried my hand at shooting Macro shots, with my first Macro walk at Hort Park… and of course, shooting fishies with the Sony TX-5.

Sunrise shoot at Punggol was a challenge to be up so early… and thankfully, the weather held, though cloudy, causing us to miss the rising of the Sun, affectionately called ‘the Yolk’

And took the chance for more Macro action. LOL.

Marang trail was a memorable walk, and had the chance to see many creatures in the forest along the trail…

One thing to note… SJS shoots carry on regardless of the weather. Rain or Shine, the shoot carries on.

Ubin was on a wet wet day, but that didn’t dampened our mood, we just kept going.

Recent trips include going to Haw Par Villa, where this majestic place is now a shadow of its glorious days…

Where places have photo opportunities, photographers gather. Chinatown, was a heritage site that has a diverse range of photo opportunities for wide angle shots, portrait etc.

Not forgetting Bottle Tree Park, where the hot weather really sapped a lot of energy, but its a great venue for Long Exposure shots!

Perhaps by now, you would have a better idea of the places SJS goes, and having fun in the process of an outing. Feel free to check out the Facebook Group as well as the blog.

Every shoot is a moment of discovery, and joy in photography. So come on, join me, as I continue my journey with SJS, so can you. All you need is a camera, and the spirit of carefree photography. Come with an open mind, and have fun!

Nicole

The body of the 500D weighs in at about 480g, and plus the lens, about 800g (this is my rough estimate). The lens that came with the review unit is the EF-S18-55mm, and I had a lot of fun shooting with this particular lens.

I must say that the feel of the camera feels good in my hands, and very easy to grip.

Click on more to view the selected shots from the Canon EOS 500D.

The Supreme Court.

There you go, some of my shots that was shot with the 500D. I have loads more, but will share them with you next time

My final words? I like the 500D, in terms of ease of handling and usage of the camera, though I would love to have more variety in white balance settings. But overall, the camera didn’t disappoint.

Oh yes, many thanks to Canon and Glenn from Ogilvy, for making this review opportunity possible.