Going back to the same place to shoot- Changi Sunrise

There are some good locations for sunrise and sunset shoots in Singapore. After going there for the first time, I will always go there again if time permits. This is because the lighting, the sea tide and weather are important elements that will affect your final image output. The foreground elements can be different too. Each shoot has always yield a different output.

I have been to this Changi Point area for many times. There were times, when there is no sunrise as the sky got too cloudy. There were times,  I was late and missed the golden hour. There were times, when weather was good, the tide was too high. There were times, every element was there but I didn't compose my shot well.

Just like life, photography is a journey or process. I have enjoy the planning, the driving to the quiet place in the early hours, and enjoy the drive to the place. The traffic was smooth and listening to the radio while driving was a way to relax my mind.

Once there, I will walk around to find a point of interest and setup in the dark. Getting to know your equipment well is very important. The last thing to do is to waste time finding the controls.

This time, the shoot at the same location, I would say is one of the best. Will there be another better images in the future? I believe there is. The best is yet to come.
All taken by Fuji XE2, 55-200mm, 12mm zeiss and X100.

Fuji X100 at Shenzhen/Guangzhou

As this is a 100% family trip, visiting relatives and going to tourist spot,I decided to go light with my favorite choice X100, a single lens and body setup to China. No zoom lens to assist me, I just go with the flow of the trip.
My XE2 , 12mm and 55-200mm are kept in Singapore. Without much equipment choices, I am force to "zoom' by my legs, decided not to take certain shots and think more before the shutter is pressed. No stress or pre-planning.

The original X100 (2011) with the 12MP 1.5x crop sensor is still a capable piece of equipment, Bad weather, strong shadows, low lights and single focal limitation are not a issue while using it.

My favourite spec of the X100 series is the build in ND filter which I assign it the Fn button. For strong light situation, I can still shoot at wide open with this ND filter. No need to screw or unscrew an external ND filter is a great advantage as not to miss any moment. This is one of the best idea/item for a camera.

Here are some of my favourite from the trip from a perspective of 35mm focal view.

Shooting in good light

Shooting in good light is one of the most fundamental objective in photography. Although equipment is an important asset to start with, getting to the scene at the right time and right weather is a challenge. Having to work and commitment to family time, there are only a few chances I have in a year to really get myself to pursue photography. Photography is not just getting a sharp/correctly expose photo. It is about how one see the scene by his/her feeling at that time and appreciate the surroundings.

 I am one that really appreciate mirrorless system as they are small, I can pack them in any bag, if there is a slot of time, I will rush to the location for a quick shoot. Not like during my DSLR days where I have to plan ahead and packed the big lenses and body for events and outings.

Below are some shots by Fuji XE-2 with 12mm Zeiss and X100.(35mm)