Blog

This place as been my digital home since 2002.

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  • Little India to Orchard Road – a photo walk

    Little India to Orchard Road – a photo walk

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    7 min read

    Instead of my usual photo walk in Orchard, I decided to shoot in Little India on a Sunday.

  • Rui Ying’s first month

    Rui Ying’s first month

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    2 min read

    It is a Chinese tradition to hold a celebration when a baby is one month old.

  • Orchard Road street photography with the Leica M8

    Orchard Road street photography with the Leica M8

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    4 min read

    My recent Orchard Road street photography sessions were done with just the Leica M8.

  • Street photography with Fujifilm X100

    Street photography with Fujifilm X100

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    4 min read

    Using only the Fujifilm X100 for street photography.

  • Pets, hats and more street fashion

    Pets, hats and more street fashion

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    3 min read

    Street fashion and publicity stunts are just some of the interesting sights along Orchard Road.

  • Shorter focal length for street photography

    Shorter focal length for street photography

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    4 min read

    I’m starting to use a shorter focal length when I shoot on the streets.

  • Street fashion in Orchard

    Street fashion in Orchard

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    1 min read

    If you want a taste of Singapore street fashion, Orchard Road on a weekend is a good place to start.

  • Adopt a pet instead of buying one

    Adopt a pet instead of buying one

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    5 min read

    There was a dog adoption drive in town sponsored by Subaru and LostPaws.

  • Publicity stunts

    Publicity stunts

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    3 min read

    Whenever I shoot in Orchard Road on a weekend, I’ll encounter publicity stunts.

  • Weekends in Orchard Road

    Weekends in Orchard Road

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    5 min read

    Spending my weekends shooting on the streets.

  • Leica M8 – first impressions

    Leica M8 – first impressions

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    5 min read

    My initial impressions of shooting in the street with my Leica M8.

  • My first Leica

    My first Leica

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    6 min read

    It still feels surreal but I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact that I bought my first Leica.

  • No more watermarks

    No more watermarks

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    4 min read

    Watermarks only discourage rather than prevent stealing.

  • Baby Ruiying

    Baby Ruiying

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    2 min read

    Congratulations to my brother and sister-in-law on the birth of their first child.

  • Portfolio – Photos by Jen Xi

    Portfolio – Photos by Jen Xi

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    2 min read

    My portfolio site is finally live. I have been fiddling around with several set ups but I’m proud to announce its official launch.

  • Choosing a DSLR camera

    Choosing a DSLR camera

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    7 min read

    Here’s a guide on how to choose your first DSLR camera..

  • Wuxia translation – a preview

    Wuxia translation – a preview

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    2 min read

    Translations of wuxia novels are often too literal and do not bring out the full flavour of the story.

  • First camera purchase in 2012

    First camera purchase in 2012

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    3 min read

    The Fujifilm X100 is my first camera purchase in 2012.

  • Welcoming 2012

    Welcoming 2012

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    3 min read

    My experiences in 2011 has made me a wiser person. Welcome 2012 and new challenges.

  • Brother’s ROM

    Brother’s ROM

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    2 min read

    My brother has become the first in my family to be married.

  • Nanowrimo 2011

    Nanowrimo 2011

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    2 min read

    This is my third consecutive attempt at NaNoWriMo.

  • Film camera wish list

    Film camera wish list

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    4 min read

    A list of cameras I want to add to my collection.

  • Dragons

    Dragons

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    2 min read

    My abstract digital piece from 2004, featured in the Photoshop Creative magazine in 2010.

  • Deleting my Friendster account

    Deleting my Friendster account

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    3 min read

    I deleted my Friendster account because it deleted the old profiles and became a social gaming site.

  • Billingham Hadley Small camera bag

    Billingham Hadley Small camera bag

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    2 min read

    I got the Billingham Hadley Small camera bag because the Hadley Large is too big some days.

  • Ricoh GR Digital III

    Ricoh GR Digital III

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    3 min read

    The Ricoh GR Digital III is a great street camera.

  • My first roll of film

    My first roll of film

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    2 min read

    This roll of Fujifilm Superia 200 had quite an interesting journey. It was loaded in my dad’s Nikon F3 but the shutter tore after a few shots and the film had to be removed. I thought they would be exposed when the roll was removed from the camera. It was then loaded into my newly […]

  • Olympus XA2

    Olympus XA2

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    3 min read

    I bought the Olympus XA2 went I saw it on sale in Cat Socrates. I’ve heard a lot about it and I knew I had to buy it.

  • iPad 2

    iPad 2

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    2 min read

    The iPad 2 changed the way I consume content. The iPhone started it but the larger screen of the iPad made it the device for consumption.

  • Flickriver

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    3 min read

    Flickriver is a very good way to browse photos from Flickr. The site allows you to scroll downwards endlessly from one photo to the next.

  • Billingham Hadley Large camera bag

    Billingham Hadley Large camera bag

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    3 min read

    The BIllingham Hadley Large is an excellent camera bag. It is stylish, practical and durable, but it doesn’t look like a camera bag.

  • MacBook Air

    MacBook Air

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    3 min read

    I bought my first MacBook. I was convinced by the MacBook Air demonstration videos but had no reason to buy it. And then I had a reason to.

  • The King returns

    The King returns

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    2 min read

    Kenny Dalglish is the new manager of Liverpool FC. The King is back! All hail the King!

  • My Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4G

    My Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4G

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    3 min read

    The Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4G is the lens to get if you only need one lens for your Nikon DSLR. It focuses fast and produces creamy bokeh.

  • New Year resolutions for 2011

    New Year resolutions for 2011

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    3 min read

    New Year resolutions generally tend to reflect the ideals we wish to achieve but have the tendency to be unrealistic.

  • Eat, Pray, Love

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    5 min read

    I would definitely recommend Eat, Pray, Love, especially if you are going through a tough period in your relationship or recovering from a failed one.

  • Think Tank Retrospective 20

    Think Tank Retrospective 20

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    2 min read

    The AF-S 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR II lens came with a Nikon lens bag, but I wanted a bag that could carry my camera body together with other lenses.

  • Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II

    Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II

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    1 min read

    I wasn’t able to resist the temptation of the AF-S 70-200 mm f/2.8 VR II lens.

  • List of wuxia terms

    List of wuxia terms

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    5 min read

    The list proposes a list of wuxia terms to be used in their original forms in translations to immerse the readers in the setting.

  • White balance preview

    White balance preview

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    2 min read

    If your camera has the live view function and has a dedicated ISO button, you can preview your white balance setting.

  • Aperture guide

    Aperture guide

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    3 min read

    The aperture is an opening through which light enters a camera.

  • Shutter speed guide

    Shutter speed guide

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    3 min read

    The shutter speed you should use depends on the lighting in the scene.