Sunset at Sutera Harbour Resort

To the city folks, Sutera Harbour resort is probably synonym to 7K Sunset Run. And it is by no accident that the annual run is so named as its man-made shore is perfect for sunset watch. Come anytime in the evening and you'll be presented with different 'sky paintings' every single time.


You do not have to a be a resort guest to enjoy the beach (if i can call it beach).


During fine weather, you can sit among the rocks and watch the sun goes down.


This was on the evening of Malaysia Day, 16th September 2016


You can stay back long after other revelers have left and take long exposure shots.

The sky was not clear that day and it was not possible to witness the 'fireball' dipping down the horizon but this place is nearby and you can always come back to capture that elusive shot.

See more shots at JDFloydPictures.

Unique and beautiful tree in Kota Belud

On your way up north to Kota Belud (the town of the 'Eastern Cowboys'), look out for a big but not-so-tall rain forest tree by the road side as you approach Kg Kelawat.

The locals have stories to tell about this tree but we couldn't confirm or verify if they are legend, myth or just a bedtime story. The umbrella-shape tree was captured by a niece of mine who stays not far away from this tree and I have the permission to publish the pics.







Looks green; unfortunately those leaves don't belong to the tree. They are parasites.



Sense of size? Maybe she should be standing next to the tree


Happy Labour Day from TheGreenMechanics. That'd be tomorrow.

Sunset at Tanjung Aru beach, Kota Kinabalu

Take sometime off during good weather and if you are lucky, you will be able to see the sun 'sinking' slowly into South China Sea. While the sun actually move in a slow motion, you find yourself running out of time. You realised that you were not actually watching it; you were just hiding behind the camera lens and miss the actions all together.

I have some shots to show, but you can also look at more of them here.


In the mood


Some sort of fiesta going on here?





D90 + Nikkor 18-200mm. Versatile lens but may not be the best glass for shooting this.











So, don't be like me. I capture the whole episode but wasn't actually watching the sunset.

Anyway, this is a must-visit attraction when you are in Kota Kinabalu. We have three beaches and this one (First Beach) is the longest of the three, most equipped, and most visited beach.

Just stone-throw away from the beach is the Perdana Park if you prefer to jog, walk and do a little exercise. It is fully lit and the jogging tracks are comparable to the modern builds elsewhere in the world.

Visit my photo-blog here to see more pics.

Graffiti at the ruins of the North Borneo Land and Survey building

Due to technical issue, this post has been redirected to an updated entry.

Thanks,
The Green Mechanics

Colourful nightview of the Supertrees at Garden by the Bay

The Supertree Grove is already a magnificent sight from both above (through the Flyer^TM or Observation Deck) and from down below the 'tree' itself. But wait until you see them during the night.

They are showered with various light colours, a still picture would not do them justice; you have to take video of them or sit back and view them in person to appreciate the creativeness of those who put these things together to work the way they do.

I have taken some long exposure shots of this garden and they can be viewed at JD-Floyd Pictures.

One of the lights on display starting early evening.

More pictures at Night view of the Supertree Grove at Garden by the Bay.


Happy Monday!

Mount Kinabalu from different perspectives

The older generation believe that Mt Kinabalu is the heart of this land. By heart, they mean the life of the land - if you take it out, this land will destabalise like a driver-less boat, floating aimlessly into the open sea. Anyway, I'll leave it to the folks to tell the story to the young.

Not too long ago, it was taught to be the highest peak in South East Asia but with the emergence of better technology, the highest peak is now known to be somewhere in Indonesia. With this fact known, you still think that Mt Kinabalu is one of the most spectacular looking mountain around.


Scenic view from Mengkabong Bridge, Tuaran



Pekan Nabalu, few kilometres away from the actual location of Mt Kinabalu



Visitors enjoying the spectacular close range view of the mountain at Pekan Nabalu observation deck



Afternoon view from Kasih Sayang Resort, located above Kokol Hill in Menggatal



Wider view from Mengkabong fisherman village located around 60 km away

Sunrise at Donggongon town of Penampang


I've heard that the views from around Kota Belud area are just as magnificent and some say that the best place to get a glimpse of the dangerous cliff is here in this district.

I hope to make a trip there soon.

Cheer up sad stork, it's Monday!

This is Monday morning and it's barely 2 weeks to the new year.

Was it a great one so far today? Or, a gloomy one like storky?

Milky stork @National Zoo, Kuala Lumpur

Cheer up, mate. You are not alone, you've got company.
Take a walk and mingle around!

Check it out here if Mr. Lonely Stork can find a friend.

Ten fascinating facts about Spiders

If you ask me which critters are better looking: the South American tarantulas or the Falling Sky's critters, I would definitely choose tarantula.

You may disagree with me and I can't really blame you because most people would not welcome spiders in their homes. But put aside their scary reputation, spiders are actually one of the most useful and friendly critters on earth. Here, take a look at this and let's appreciate the fascinating fact about them:

Kasih Sayang Resort spider, Kota Kinabalu. Taken with Nikkor DX lens 18-200mm

Focal length 200mm | f/5.6 | ISO-200 | 1/125s |

1. The word “spider” comes from the Old English word “spinnan” which means “to spin.” Not sure if they spend their spare time spinning though.


2. Spiders are not insects. They are arachnids. Insects have three body sections and six legs; spiders have two body sections and eight legs.


3. Despite the fact that most spiders have 6 to 8 pairs of eyes, their eyesight is very poor. They use the fine hairs on their bodies to sense movement and signal when they should run or attack.


4. Most spiders live for less than six months, but the female tarantula can live up to 25 years!


5. Spiders digest their food before they eat it! They inject digestive enzymes into their prey which turns the captured critter into liquid and allows the spider to suck up the mush through a special “straw.”


6. Each year, spiders eat so many insects that the combined weight of their pray exceeds the weight of the entire global population of humans.


7. Despite its scary appearance, the tarantula is no more poisonous than a bee sting.


8. The spider’s web is made out of protein. When it’s time to spin a new web, the spider will eat the old web.


9. The golden spider spins silk that is as strong as a steel wire of the same size.


10. The black widow’s venom is 15 times more powerful than the venom of the diamondback rattlesnake.  However, because only a tiny amount is injected when she bites, very few people die from the black widow spider’s bite.

Oh, and if you live in the UK, you are lucky. The UK tops the list of countries whose populations most fears spiders! Half of all women and one in five men have an aversion to spiders.

Hungry bird gone hunting

We had a short vacation recently and I took some time to try birding. It was good that the operator maintained the greenery around the resort and there are areas that are quite photographer-friendly to those with camera with them. But who doesn't, nowadays.

Here is birdie's three steps to hunt fruitfully:

* hide and spy - be on alert *

* snap your prey at first glimpse - don't delay, opportunity only flash once! *

* enjoy your catch, but wait, make sure there's no one lurking *

There are many more telling shots in between these three pictures. They can be found in my photo blog.

Note: I can't identify the bird. It looks like heron but it could also be a kingfisher. Appreciate some help.

Why do we see only one side of the moon

Do you enjoy the sight of full moon? Then you may want to read on.

Copyrighted by TheGreenMechanics

Actually it's not just 'half' or one side of the moon. A little googling and you'd find that due to slight changes called libration, we can see slightly more than half of the moon over the time of its orbit. Look at the two shots below (I took them in Penampang Sabah, Malaysia) on two different times and they will give you some idea.

End of year shot of the full moon

Full moon shot taken in Penampang, Sabah

So, why only one side?

The time taken for the Moon to spin on its axis is almost exactly the same as the time it takes to orbit the Earth. Hence, the Moon always keeps the same side pointing our way.

According to Sciencefocus, this is not a coincidence as over many years, the Earth’s gravity has forced the Moon to spin synchronously with its orbit. However, things are a bit more complicated than that. Viewed from Earth, the Moon appears to rock slowly backwards and forwards so that we see a slightly different face throughout the lunar month.

There are two main reasons for this.

• First, the Moon’s orbit around Earth is elliptical not circular so its rotation is sometimes ahead, and sometimes behind, its orbital motion. 
• Second, the Moon’s rotation axis is not at right angles to its orbit around the Earth so we can sometimes see ‘over’ or ‘under’ its poles. 

Over time this means we actually get to see about 59% of the Moon’s surface. I have illustrated that in my two shots above. I have quite a collection of moon shots, I would probably share them here in future.


Facts source: Sciencefocus
Note: The pictures are my own.

Drizzle in the morning

After a relatively long dry spell in Kota Kinabalu, it showered quite heavily today but only for less than 5 minutes. It disrupted a beautiful morning breakfast for many. It continued to drizzle and on my way to my base I stopped by the roadside to capture this using my phone camera.

Somewhere along Kota Kinabalu - Penampang road.

It reminds me of the Sinkhole I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. The morning sky was covered with cloud leaving only this 'hole' the clear path for the sun to shine.

I wished I had my DSLR with me that moment.

Earth Hour 2012

Environment-conscious citizens can take part in one of the various activities lined up for this year’s Earth Hour - a practice observed worldwide to raise awareness on climate change - this evening. If you are still wondering or unclear about it, you can read about what is earth hour here.

Consumers are encouraged to switch off their non-essential lightings or electrical appliances during Earth Hour, which falls today, March 31, 2012. As its name suggest the period is one hour, starting from 8.30pm. During this period, our local energy utility, SESB, expects a reduction of load of 50 MW. But it also anticipate up to 70MW of drop of power consumption throughout the state.

For the record, highest drop of power demand was recorded in March, 2007 totalling 30.28 MW. Consumers in both Sabah and Federal Territory of Labuan took part in that practice.

Earth Hour Happenings: What and Where.

City Hall leads. City Hall collaborates with Sutera Harbour Resort to hold exciting programs at the tennis court (Sutera Harbour Resort), starting 6.00pm with food stalls, children’s recycled item contest, spa product show, and night photography. Night photography can be very rewarding and you would be surprised at how fascinating the results could be. Try it, compact point-and-shoot or DSLR camera would both give interesting perspectives.

Perhaps a good idea to take picture of the night/evening view of Sutera Harbour Resort itself.

Street-wise. Turning off of streetlights at 8.30pm along the main road from Tun Mustapha building (Yayasan Sabah) to the citi centre to Coastal Highway and down to Tanjung Aru. An entourage by the Mayor and other guests will cycle from the city to First Beach, Tanjung Aru later at 9.30pm.

Tun Mustapha Tower is on the far left. Can't imagine these street lights being switched-off.

Educating the youth. At St. Michael’s School, Miss Earth Sabah, Olivia Vun gave a talk on the Earth Hour and also conducted a quiz session with 500 secondary students on Friday. Organised by MNE (Mandy Nandu) Productions, such program is one of Miss Earth Sabah’s initiatives to practice the cause that they upheld. Also present was Sabah Environment Protection Director, Yabi Yangkat, and the program sponsor Gardenia’s GM David Yong.

What about petition? Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society (SWCS) will have a petition signing during Earth Hour (today, March 31 2012) against a proposed condominium project in the vicinity of the First Beach in Tanjung Aru.

Tg. Aru First Beach - maybe SWCS should highlight this indiscriminate felling of trees, too.

A challenge for a good cause

In support of the Earth Hour 2012, HSBC Bank Malaysia will switch off non-essential external lights and internal signboards in all of its branches starting 8.30pm nationwide.

HSBC also challenged you to a duel: “I will if you will”. In this challenge, the management pledges to plant 10 trees for every 1kg of used dry cells, rechargeable, mobile phone or laptop batteries collected. Special recycle bins will be placed at common and public areas within its headquarters in Leboh Ampang, Kuala Lumpur and selected branches nationwide. If you are HSBC’s customer and happen to read this, do ask the bank if they have the bins and take part of you have used batteries with you.

What about you?

If you prefer to stay at home and watch this weekend football matches, or enjoy some great movies, the least you can do is switch of one or two of your non-essential lightings, such as the 60W corridor bulb, the  2 x 36W garage fluorescent lamps, etc. For me, I will turn off one of the energy saving lamp at the backyard and the fluorescent tube at the entrance.

Happy Earth Hour, everyone. AND save few watts of energy today.


Note: All photographs in this article are taken by myself and are therefore copyrighted. Should you wish to paste them on your website, kindly give due credit and link them back to this page.

Sabah State Level World Water Day 2012

I visit Jabatan Air Sabah website from time to time and as I saw this, I thought the netizens, especially those with cameras might be interested to take part. I may just send in a couple of pictures this time around. Note: the following information is copied from the department's web site and I have made available the link to that site at the end of this article.

Photography Competition

OBJECTIVES

International World Water Day is held annually on 22nd March as a means of focusing the world’s attention towards the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The world is already burdened with chronic hunger and water resources are under pressure with population surge. At all steps of the supply chain, from producers to consumers, actions can be taken to save water and ensure nutritious food for all.

As the saying ‘picture speaks a thousand words’, the Organising Committee hopes this photography competition shall create awareness on the importance of efficient consumption and sustainability of water and freshwater in ensuring sufficient supply of nutritious food to meet dietary needs.

PRIZES

Open Category
1st Prize X 1 RM 3,000.00 Cash + Certificate
2nd Prize X 1 RM 1,500.00 Cash + Certificate
3rd Prize X 1 RM 1,000.00 Cash + Certificate
Consolation x 10 RM 100.00 Cash + Certificate

Student Category (Form 5 and Below)
1st Prize X 1 RM 500.00 Cash + Certificate
2nd Prize X 1 RM 300.00 Cash + Certificate
3rd Prize X 1 RM 150.00 Cash + Certificate
Consolation x 10 RM 50.00 Cash + Certificate

Competition Calendar
Closing Date : 10th March 2012 (Saturday)
Prize Presentation : 20th March 2012 (Thursday)


PHOTO COLLECTION STATIONS

1. Evergreen Colour photo centre | Lot 7-0, ground floor, Lorong Lintas Plaza 2, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Tel : 088-256977
2. Yong’s Color Digital Lab | A20, 1st Floor, Centre Point Sabah, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Tel : 088-241700
3. Sandakan Foto (Sabah) Sdn Bhd | (Town centre) Ground floor, Lot 11, Block 23, LebuhTiga, 90000 Sandakan. Tel :089-218728 (Mile 4) Ground floor, Lot 12, Block C, Bandar Kim Fung, Batu 4 ½, Jalan Utara, 90000 Sandakan. Tel: 089-238728
4. GT Foto Studio, TB 329(A), Ground Floor, Block 41, Fajar Complex,, Tawau Tel: 089-748669

CONTACT INFO

1. Mr. Ling - 0168339992
2. Mr. Henry Ng - 0138600714

For more information, visit the Jabatan Air's webpage on Sabah State Level World Water Day 2012, Photography Competition.

Wildlife watching

Destination  : Hutan a.k.a jungle
Mission       : Meliat-liat munyit dan mengasi halau kuyuk yang mungkin
                     menyalak munyit.
Location     : Taman hidupan liar lok kawi.


Come, visit My Photoblog or click the pic below to see more munyit.

p/s: White munyitis from elswhere. Kindly take note that you will not find him at our destination (this jungle).

A Split Decision

I am not talking about jury's decision of any kind.

It's about my decision to separate my hunger for 'green' and my passion for photography that lead to my setting up of another blog. That's specifically for my expensive hobby - photography. I have to split the two, that is.

If you have the time please visit my photography page at JDfloyd-pictures. Thanks.



Please read/view here for the full story.

Till then, happy shooting and let's enjoy our hobby.

The TOWERS - a Second Chance

"It's 7.01pm by my watch..."

I shot these iconic towers not too long ago during year-end holiday with my family. It was somewhat touch-and-go kind of result, a.k.a not very impressive.

To say that I did not have long enough time to get some decent shots would be too lame an excuse. I guess it was a combination of many things such as lack of experience, creativity, time, weather and equipment that caused this sort of stuff.

When you are travelling with certain kind of itinerary - with photography being low on the pecking order - I guess a compromised pictures quality has to be deemed acceptable. Luck plays quite a big role especially when travelling during wet season.

A second chance? Yes! Especially when we are talking about paying another visit to these spots later this month. Later this week, to be exact.

For me this should be a very good opportunity to better my personal achievement since 3 months ago. Fingers crossed that I'd be blessed with fine weather, and with some inspiration from fellow shooters hopefully I can achieve something more decent.

The less popular Maxis Tower beside Petronas Twin Towers

Kuala Lumpur Tower is essentially a communication pole.

Panoramic view the national capital from KL Tower

When it is hazy, you would not get the view you are after.

Alternative view of the famous Twin Towers.

Evening fountain at KLCC.

Without tripod, you have to crank up the ISO to something like 3200 to get a reasonably usable image.

RAW Processing

I am a reader of Photo Malaysia web and would like to share a very practical video of how to get the best from RAW files.This was contributed by Photo Malaysia member and his nick is jackljane.






The sound was stripped but he promised to upload another video with sound later. This was in response to a newbie photographer's question as to why he keep getting dull and lifeless pictures.

Been reading from Digital Camera magazine for sometime now but there is always something new when looking at video of other people's work. For a not-so-experienced photographer such as myself, this is a good start.

Give it a go, it's about 10 minutes and is just nice during your lunch break.

In case you don't know what is RAW files, find out here. Or visit Ken Rockwell's version if you like him.

Nightshot Collections

Firstly, Happy New Year to fellow bloggers and readers. Hope it's not toooooo lateee for that now....

My new year greetings is a fireworks shot which never look like a fireworks at all. I have not learnt on the technique at the time of shooting but just took a few snaps as they were really coming up and about, and with a camera held at the wrong time I've just have to try my luck. [No firework shots here]

A chance shot at the lightning at West Coast of Sabah

Evening Fountain at Citymall Kota Kinabalu, a commercial/shopping centre fast growing in popularity.



Evening view of Kota Kinabalu seafront.

Cloudy Towers - hand-held shot of the popular Petronas Twin Towers minutes before it rained.



Vantage view of Marina Bay, Singapore. The folks wrote their new year wishes on balloons and threw them into the sea.

Rain and Shine

With my new found hobby, it's a lot of fun taking shots especially during sunset and sunrise. My first love affair is with landscape. Firstly, it is always easy to take pictures of landscapes and secondly for beginner there's less effort put into getting good shots; no messy and tedious preparation. You just need to be there at the right moment and time, and vioalla you are done.
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This one is taken during my trip back from crocker range and the South China sea seem covered by thick cloud and at one area there already was rain pouring.
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A broader view show a couple of houses built on a hilltop overseeing the phenomenon.


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This one is a shot back in Kota Kinabalu during sunrise.


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Do drop by my flickr photostream to view more : Floyd's Flickr

Have a good weekend.
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