​Sometimes a picture really is worth 1000 words.

​I thought there might be a few lessons to be gleaned from these novel posts in Hong Kong and perhaps some reminders to carry into the week ahead.

A sweet addition to my food adventures in Hong Kong is tofu pudding, called “dau fu fa” or bean curd jello. As a part of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage, tofu pudding is a simple dessert in contrast with Hong Kong’s fusion dessert trend. Tofu is a delicacy that transcends many cultures and cuisines, a simple dish that can be plated in a myriad of forms, textures and flavours. From silken to puffed, sweet or stinky, from China to Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and beyond – this basic ingredient made from just soy beans, water and a natural coagulant has become a historic staple throughout the Asian continent. The soft tofu has a smooth and silky texture, and it can be served hot or cold, making it a delicacy for any weather.

In Hong Kong, tofu plays another important role – it’s comfort food. I’ve talked about Hong Kong’s craving for nostalgia before, but it was only after a bowl of warm dau fu fa that I saw just how much food plays a part in this culture's yearning for the past.

Hidden in the midst of Sham Shui Po’s street markets, Kung Wo has been around for a long time making soy products from scratch. They have been operating since 1958. I had the hardest time finding this place since I had no idea what it was called and barely knew my way around the area. Serving up silky smooth tofu pudding, sweet delicious soy milk and tasty tofu squares smeared with fish paste, Kung Wo is one of Hong Kong’s hidden gems. If you’re in the area, definitely hunt this hole in the wall down and enjoy a delicious bowl of tofu pudding or two.

Today is the big day! I am celebrating my 8-year blogiversary. When I look back at my older posts I love seeing how much my blog has changed and grown. It’s so great being able to share my thoughts, experiences, ideas and travels with all of you. Life is a carnival that is full of fun and joy, ups and downs, shocks and surprises, meetings and partings.

So is blogging.
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Eight years is a long time in the blogosphere, and I’m glad to still be around. This is a really special milestone because eight years ago this week, I decided to try something new and enter into this world that I essentially knew nothing about. I didn’t have a lot of expectations when I started blogging. I also didn’t tell a lot of people I had become a blogger. I remember when I decided to create a photography blog, is that blogging was a way to find my own self. It would force me to get out, to explore, to learn and make new discoveries. And maybe, just maybe along the way, I’d eventually inspire other people to do the same thing in their lives.

​I’m grateful to you for visiting this blog, reading my posts, sharing your views, supporting me, which makes all the difference to me. Whether this is the first time you have stopped by or you have been here since the beginning, I want to say thank you.

There are a lot of ways to get creative with street photography. The more you look around for interesting scenes to photograph, the more you realise the power of reflections. They are everywhere. Reflections are another kind of shadow. 

In reflections of the buildings we work and live in, hides a wonderful world, a prodigious one, with different laws of physics. Light reflects with inimitable consequences, perspective lines are deforming, typography and color loose there significance and become beautiful shapes and forms, they play a new role within a composition.

Although summer in Hong Kong is a rainy season, there is always something interesting to shoot with the rains. Rain is one of the best times to photograph in because it can make all types of surfaces reflective. Just train your eye to notice them at first will eventually make it second nature.

倒影与影子虽然都有 “影” 一字，但两者却有截然不同的面貌，影子可说是本体遮蔽光线后的形象，但倒影则是反射后表现出来的形态，在真实世界里，可说是将3D立体实景，转化为2D平面的魔法。此外，受到光线方向、光源质感，以及反射材质影响，相较实体可说是多了不少趣味。虽然香港的夏天正值雨季，但下雨天也会帶來有趣的拍攝題材。当水面平静时，岸上景物实景与水中倒影一实一虚，遥相辉映，极大提高了整个画面的空间纵深感与视觉冲击力，极具美感。摄影是一门光与影的艺术，水中的倒影则将这一点体现得淋漓尽致。

倒影就如同镜子一样，反映着真实世界，但果真的是如此吗？透过一些构图上的刻意安排，或是后制的处理，都能让呈现出的倒影与真实不同，而从这当中其实可以悟出不少做人处事的道理，利用摄影这项兴趣，进而获得其他启发或收获，真是一举两得。

In music they say the spaces between the notes are just as important as the notes themselves. Similarly in photography, it can be the spaces that are not in the light that add impact to an image.
 
Shadows help tell a story and enhance the mood and visual power of a photograph. In fact, they can be so interesting, that they “overshadow” the subject itself. By focusing your attention on the shadows, you can create beautiful compositions full of contrast, form, and minimalist simplicity. An object and its shadow will strengthen each other. Sometimes you might even want to cut the object out entirely, and play with capturing only the interesting shadows that are cast by it.

Hong Kong is a lot different to shoot in from Singapore. I like detritus and darkness, shadows and noise, so for me the backstreets and markets of Hong Kong give me the things that I want. Photographing shadows works best with strong, simple shapes that make interesting graphic designs such as flowers, sharp lines, or even human beings. After all, who hasn’t taken a picture of their own shadow as it stretches out across the sidewalk in front of them?

街拍，可以是寻找你眼中“别人故事”的最佳方式之一，而影子和黑白片最配。我特别喜欢用黑白照片去表达自己眼中的“别人”，因为没了色彩的装饰，需要你更认真去表达你的内心，和周遭的一切，所以黑白片常被大家认为是最容易产生故事的方式。 

影子有更多的可能性，这就像是打开了摄影世界的另一扇大门。我们都可以通过调整光线类型、角度和明度等，让影子给人物创造立体感。简单来说，影子是另一个可以说话的主体，那些平平无奇的小动作都能拍出感觉，看影子就能脑补出一个故事。

我很喜欢一句话：影子，是你在太阳下的碎片，而把碎片拼凑起来，你会发现影子背后的故事。

​I recently travelled to Hong Kong. Yes again. It’s somewhere that I always want to go to every year, the streets, the neons, the vast amount of people. There really aren’t many words that can fully describe the energy of Hong Kong and how that energy transforms from day into night. It’s magical, the sun dips and gives way to a sea of neon signs as they flicker alive. The evening commute begins and a new energy starts pulsing through the very heart of the city. I don’t have a particular project that I am working on with regards to the streets of Hong Kong. I like to walk around to see and learn about the city. I like to get lost and see where I come out. Singapore does not have this attraction for me at the moment, maybe because of familiarity of the setting.
 
Hong Kong is a highly fast-paced city. Sometimes it is absolutely disorienting. ​One of the things that you will notice in this blog post is the sense of motion. Because Hong Kong is such a busy city, I feel like I need to convey a sense of motion in some of my images to hint at just how quick the pace of life is in Hong Kong.

With street photography, people often think of the typical black and white, static and candid captures that freeze the action. This may be popular, but it’s also great to break the mould and apply some creative uses of slower shutter speeds. After all, street photography is about anticipating and capturing a moment before it’s gone, which often requires the photographer to react within a split second of a moment unfolding in order to grab the moment. Adding a slower shutter speed shutter can help add drama to street photographs, in fact there are many different times when a longer exposure may be beneficial in bringing out the essence of a street moment.

香港是一个繁忙的都市，每天上下班的时间街上总是行人如鲫。如果想营造人来人往的景象，慢速快门是一个简单而神奇的方法。我通过一系列的长曝光摄影拍下的照片，抓住了这个人口众多的大都市真正繁忙的节奏，展现了川流不息的人群和车辆和那快到令人眼花缭乱的速度。每张照片的曝光时间为五秒钟。看上去好像是把现实世界的五秒内发生的事情封装在了一张照片中一样。在这些照片中，似乎可以听到从四面八方的人潮中传来的喧闹的声音。
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这张相片给人一种人潮如浪的视觉效果，虽然行人的样子和身影没有给清楚凝固，但人像残影的快速流动，偏偏将街道喧哗繁荣的气氛，形象地表现出来。加上静止的街道背景与人像残影形成强烈、鲜明的对比，无意间便流露出一种静中带动的感觉。

Situated along Jalan Kledek in the heritage Kampong Glam district, it is Singapore’s first Photography and Vintage camera museum and hosted in the world’s largest camera shaped building. While the museum showcases about 1,000 vintage cameras dating from the 19th century to modern times, the founders have more than 7,000 vintage cameras in their personal collection, which has taken them close to 20 years to amass.

A collection is not made overnight, especially a vintage camera collection. It takes years and sometimes a lifetime. You cannot be an impulsive buyer otherwise you might get burned. You go thru a process of learning like where to buy, what to buy, which cameras are highly collectibles which are not, what is the right or ideal price for a certain piece and so on. You have to be very careful not to go over your budget. You have to get information of the world market prices for vintage cameras. 

To acquire something that is rare is like owning a treasure. But i suppose it gives more meaning as a collector if the collector can share this to other people for them to see and appreciate. For me, a collection, to be meaningful, should be shared with other people. If you keep it to yourself then you deprive yourself the respect you can gain from your passion and the knowledge other people could acquire from your collections.

复古，是文艺圈永不落后的话题。近年来，复古相机也一次又一次的向我们证明他们卷土重来的势头。撇开各类胶片风修图app不说，身边的胶片小发烧友们基本人手一部美能达或富士，不论是造型还是成片，还是等待一卷胶卷拍完，洗出来的惊喜时刻，都是一种返古又情怀的文艺玩法。虽然我并不是什么相机发烧友，但对于相机却有种情怀。我一直觉得相机是一个挺伟大的发明，能让我们每时每刻都能摄下最经典，最想记忆的画面，不让它从时间里流逝。我人生第一贵必买，并不是包包或首饰，而是相机。

位于新加坡甘榜格南历史区的古董相机博物馆，展出了从19世纪末到2000年代初的大约1,000台相机。原本是个空房子，业主将其改建成建筑外形像一座摄像机的私人博物馆。

Whilst exploring Taiwan last year, with my usual eye out for street art, I noticed a couple of those electricity boxes; the kind you don’t usually notice. I don’t know what the correct name for them is – Electricity transformer boxes or kiosks? Circuit boxes? Junction boxes? Electric utility boxes? Anyway, I’m talking about those boring-looking grey metal boxes that control the electricity supply to nearby buildings.
 
So, the reason I noticed them was that they were colourfully painted. And then I spotted more.  You can’t miss these painted electrical boxes throughout Taiwan. They are virtually everywhere, and most commonly painted with landscapes or flowers. I’ve snapped a handful of them to share with you, during my walks around the city. Each box is painted on all sides. No two boxes are painted alike, although you will see recurring themes and color palates.
 
Permission for the street exhibition was given to brighten up Taiwan’s main streets. The only regulation was that the electricity warning sign couldn’t be painted over. 

Street art is becoming a big obsession. One of the first things that I do when I decide on a new destination is to find out whether or not I’m going to get my fill of street art. When I decided to be in Taiwan for two weeks, and Taipei for a large majority of that, I knew I needed to scope it out. Luckily, one of my favorite things to do while traveling is just to wander the streets. And from wandering and gaining some insight from a local in Taiwan, I was able to find some of the best Murals in Taipei.
 
Taipei may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of street art culture, but be prepared to be pleasantly surprised. In Taipei street art and better yet, good street art is easy to come by. The capital of the island country of Taiwan is rife with large and small scale street art.

Here are my favourite photos of the street art that I saw. And as always, if you know of any more, leave them in the comments!

在台北，越来越多机会看到风格不同的街头涂鸦作品。从台北东区的南港车站附近，到松烟艺术特区、圆山大直河滨公园到中山桥下，再到西门町的美国街与电影主题公园附近，都可以看见街头涂鸦的踪影。其中美国街与电影主题公园，因为有艺青会进驻，从早期是没有计画的随意涂鸦，到近几年会找国内艺术家前来，以台北街头或是台湾所见所感后，再进行街头涂鸦创作后。不管是创作技巧与内容质量，都跟其它区域有所区隔，可说是街头涂鸦的艺术重镇之一。每隔一段时间去，就不会失望，每每都能看见新的惊喜!

其实在台湾，涂鸦通常都跟违法脱不了干系，和其他国家不同的是，国外的空白墙面是可以被涂鸦创作的。在公共物品上涂鸦，当然在台湾的学校，或在社会，都是不被允许的。从学生时期桌角上的涂鸦，椅子上的涂鸦，到校园墙面的涂鸦，天桥的涂鸦，废墟外墙的涂鸦等等，任何一个土生土长的台湾人，很难伪装说他们从来没有看过这些东西的存在。涂鸦可以是文字，也可以是图画。街头涂鸦是种临场考试，与画纸创作有很大的不同，因为街头涂鸦使用的是喷漆，不仅颜色受限，更无法调色，必须利用手感来涂鸦，线条的粗细取决于喷漆的角度与速度。

金工的历史，最早可溯源至数千年前，当人类开始使用金属造物，金工技艺发展的齿轮便一同开始转动。各种金属皆有不同的特性、光泽、样貌及属性，透过创意亲手将金属制作成独一无二的手工饰品、艺品，让手作艺术更贴近生活。
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对想专心进行手工创作的人而言，最需要的就是能找到一个轻松舒适、同时还能与其他同好进行交流的空间。为打造出理想的手创天地，从事这行三十年的温清隆师傅原本想在东区找店面，却意外在《甘乐文创》内找到满意的地点，创立了 “三艺金工” 工作室。

Blacksmithing and traditional metalworking are ancient crafts and techniques that are quickly disappearing from society. The San Yi Metalworking Studio is an excellent example of CAN’s influence on traditional industries. Mr Wen Qing­long, a master silversmith, was trained as a traditional apprentice since the age of 13. Although he has a solid mastery of the skills of his craft, he could only find work making items to order on a case-by-case basis. With the help of CAN, however, he began to see beyond this traditional dynamic. He founded an independent studio and developed his own brand of design products, allowing him to engage in artistic creation firsthand. He also works to cultivate an appreciation for his craft through interactive demonstrations and hands-on experience sessions. By continuing to introduce new possibilities to local craftspeople, CAN hopes to continue to make use of local resources and find new meaning in old arts. 

我喜欢探访老街，主要是想透过老街的巡礼，了解当地人过去的生活，捕捉一点残留的人文风貌。每个人都有旅行的梦想，有人喜爱跳上列车，北上南下在轰隆作响的车厢里探寻环岛的乐趣, 有的爱往深山荒野走去，越刺激的地域越有旅行的价值。还有一种旅人，喜爱在时光迁移的轨迹之外，偷得记忆留下的證证据与老地方来场叙旧的旅行。

台湾北中南东各有特色且年份久远的建築与景点。这些存在已久, 拥有好几世代共同回忆的地点。无论是老街风华，飘香一甲子的路边美味，废弃後重生的日式房舍，历久弥新的观光景点或者是改头换面的旧厂房，都让人为之惊豔。我透过一次又一次的小旅行，以悠闲的心情重温旧梦或者在老旧故事里，把它们一个一个记录下来。不甘于只留下文化标本，我希望文化并不只是静静被欣赏的对象，更能以生动面貌重新活在世人的生活中。

位在台北三峡老街上，一看似咖啡馆的庭园，简约的现代建物与绿植隐身在矮门之后，如果没仔细看我还以为就跟一般咖啡馆差不多，而没发现《甘乐文创》的与众不同。我感觉就好像要走进老家的门口，还有在步道上可用眼睛翻墙的小庭院，幽幽绿意衬托著后方的屋子，引人入胜。

Taiwan’s old streets play a significant role to the country’s architectural, cultural, culinary, and economic history. Each old street is famous for only one particular thing which it produced many years ago. Despite having developed into tourist attractions, these streets are preserved, and you can still trace the roots of the locals’ lifestyle, and get a glimpse into Taiwan in the olden days.

Walking along Sanxia Old Street is like walking into a time tunnel - the arched red brick hallways, the traditional architecture, the beams, columns, ancient wooden plaques, the squat maidens walls and the figure carvings upon the buildings are all very unique. This ancient street has a feeling of nostalgia for the good old days and makes visitors want to linger. 

The Culture Art and Nature (CAN) located in Sanxia Old Street is re-established from old houses, and periodically hosts music, plays and photography exhibitions. CAN, a local community advocacy group, has been intimately involved with San­xia’s cultural preservation efforts and creating a historical record of its past. The group’s founder, Jeffery Lin, grew up in the area.

My photo essay under pen name 蓝天游 on Hong Kong's Heritage of Mei Ho House 美荷樓生活館 and SG's Chinatown Heritage Centre《香港美荷楼生活馆与新加坡牛车水原貌馆》is published in today's LianheZaobao 联合早报缤纷版 dated 19 April 2018! 感谢、感恩! Thrilled to see it being featured nationwide in print! Special thanks to Lianhe Zaobao, you have made my day! :) 

黑白屋随莱佛士而登陆新加坡，主要建于1898-1941年间，是殖民地时代英国人为公务员与官员建造的房屋，基本格局模拟英国的“都铎”（Tudor）式建筑风格，并配合新加坡热带与季候风气候而建设。狮城中仍有波斯陶路（Portsdown Road）这块空旷“宝地”，在发展与保留过程中取得良好的平衡。走进波斯陶路里仿佛时光倒流60年。波斯陶路一带有许多英军时期，所留下的黑白老式洋房。这些富有殖民地色彩的洋房，建于上世纪的40年代，见证了岛国发展。在英军撤退前，洋房多尾军官的住宿，之后则多租给了外籍人士。这些房子的建筑结构坚固，设计上也展现了欧陆典雅风格。
 
我最近到访才发现这里的几十幢黑白相间的老洋房洋房原来藏在浓郁的绿色之间，低调又矜持，延续昔日的风采。每一栋独立成户，拥有大片的绿地，空间开阔，某些洋房背后交错的树枝间，还隐约闪烁着游泳池蓼蓝的波光。黑白屋之上，又见另一幢黑白屋，远近互相辉映。没有高聪入云的建筑，也没有又直又长的柏油路，环境清幽僻静。而这正是这份在城市里得来不易的安宁与平静。
 
我觉得这里是新加坡最后一片乐土，世外桃源。黑白屋在时间与空间上极为奢侈，老房子有了岁月的沉淀，特别耐看，加上树林或园林环绕，面积动辄过万，在时空愈发紧缩的岛国，更是奇景。真的，不把黑白屋当景点，是不可能的。每个进入黑白屋的人，都会发出赞叹。然后，很自然地，拿起手机或相机拍下这些老房子。这是大多数人意想不到的新加坡。社会发展得快，所有旧的东西都迅速消失，我喜欢黑白屋所带来的怀旧氛围与情调。

在新加坡有这样一条废弃的铁道，铁道的两边有郁郁葱葱的草丛和森林。来到这里会让人觉得，如果和心爱的人一起沿着铁道一直走下去，真的就可以走到天荒地老，那真的是太浪漫了。而它，曾经只不过是一条理所当然躺在那里的铁道，每天都有一列列火车往返于新加坡的丹戎巴葛与马来西亚。这里就是新加坡的铁道走廊。
 
故事要追溯到上世纪30年代，马来亚铁道公司修建的这条铁道是新马泰三国人民和货物往来的主要交通工具。其中在新加坡的铁道线以丹戎巴葛为起点站，同时为了方便住在市区以外的人们享受火车服务，还分别在亚历山大、东陵福和武吉知马兴建了几个小型的火车站。1965年新加坡脱离马来西亚宣告独立，当时的两国领导人决定维持铁道的主权，铁道沿线两旁各25米的地段归马来亚铁道公司管辖。2011年7月，当铁道正式由马来西亚交还给新加坡，新加坡火车总站也从市区的丹戎巴葛移到新马边境的兀兰，当铁轨与枕木被拆除送还马来亚铁道公司后，这条从丹戎巴葛到兀兰长达24公里的贯穿新加坡心脏地带的铁道线就结束了历史使命。
 
这条铁路从武吉知马铁道站以南不远的地方，最先在金文泰路与Lorong Gaung （今Maju Drive 一带）横越金文泰路，然后沿着旧金文泰路（今金文泰邻里公园所在）北面穿越斜阳大道（Sunset Way) 再,横越乌鲁班丹河。铁道沿河向西南方向，从花柏岭、花柏林和花柏径住宅区边缘经过，至班丹河与乌鲁班丹河交接的不远处，横越班丹河，向西而去。从这里，铁路沿亚逸快速公路的北面至旧亚默依布拉欣路（今改名亚逸拉惹快速公路）交接处转向南面，继续往西。最后，铁路横越裕廊河，直通裕廊渡头路站。