© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Bohey Dulang Island | Tun Sakaran Marine Park

© Azman Jumat | Photograph of me taking picture at Bohey Dulang taken by Azman Jumat

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Tun Sakaran Marine Park | Bohey Dulang Island | Sabah | Malaysia North Borneo

Tun Sakaran Marine Park (TSMP) are situated at the entrance to Darvel Bay, off the East coast of Sabah near the town of Semporna, it took about 45 minutes by speed boat from the jetty of this small town. Named after then the Head of State of Sabah, Tun Sakaran Dandai, it was gazetted in July 2004 as Sabah’s seventh park. The Park is the largest Marine Park and covering 340 sq kilometers of sea and corals reef and 10 sq kilometers of land.

This Marine Park, which is also known as the Semporna Islands Park, comprises of eight islands—Bohey Dulang, Bodgaya, Sebangkat, Selakan, Mantabuan, Sibuan, Maiga, as well as the Church Reef and Kapikan Reef. Bohey Dulang and Bodgaya islands are extinct volcanic remnants while Sebangkat and Selakan are two islands of raised limestone platforms.

Tun Sakaran Marine Park is not equipped with facilities for tourists; however, visitors are welcome to explore the marine park’s dive sites with their snorkels and scuba gears. Divers have reported many sightings of eagle rays, turtles, barracuda, bumphead parrotfish, and plenty of nudibranchs. There are large walls and a cornucopia of macrolife in the Bodgaya lagoon, while the sandy areas are home to big gorgonian fans and sea pens.

Before you plan to visit here, it is better for you to get some information from Sabah Park , my visit here was organized by 48th Studio Kota Kinabalu Sabah and they have made some arrangement prior to this visit to make it possible.

This is my third times visiting Semporna and its surrounding which comprise of small islands and whenever I’m here I’ve always dreaming to be on Bohey Dulang Island because it looks quite mysterious to me. There are few Bajau Laut (Sea Gypsies) stays on this island. I highly suggest you to stay at least two to three days to fully enjoy this area.

It took us around 45 minutes to get on the top of Bohey Dulang Island, where the pictures above were taken. Maybe you can reach here faster depending on the pace that you are taking. Since our level of fitness is not the same, we took 45 minutes to get here starting from the jetty below which not seen in the picture ( the jetty is located on the far left from the jetty that you seen on the picture above ).

Some people who have seen this pictures said that it was almost unbelievable, yes it was so true, and yes I did enhance the colors a bit but the original pictures is good enough. I highly recommended you to visit here in the afternoon, because if you came and visit this island in the morning, this area will be under the shadows, lack contrast, this photograph were taken around 3Pm – 4PM in the afternoon. From the group photograph above you can see where the light is coming from, the sun is on the left side of this island. All of the photographs above were taken with 24mm prime lens on full frame camera body except the group photo shot which were taken with 17-35mm lens at 17mm also on FF body.

* The colors of the photograph above were enhance a little bit with one of the technique in my Master of Colors eBook, hit the banner below for more info ;

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Semporna | Life By The Sea

Depending to whom you ask for, Semporna is a gateway to paradise, gateway to beautiful island of Sabah especially to Sipadan Island which is considered among the top dive site in the world, but there is more in Semporna than Sipadan Island, there is Mataking, Kapalai and Mabul, just to name a few that are famous with divers.

Since this is a photography blog, most photographers that I’ve known come to Semporna for a different reason, unless they are underwater photographers. Most of the photographers that I’ve known like to come here to visit the life of Sea Gypsies here, especially on the island of Mabul, Kalapuan, Omadal, Maiga and some other small island that look much more interesting to some photographers than Sipadan Island. To my foreigner friends who have come to visit my blog here, I would like to let you know here that, photographs taken around this area, around this island which is just less than an hour from Semporna has won many photography competitions time and time again.

Semporna is the gateway to great photographic opportunity around the island. Some of my friends from peninsular have come to Semporna every year without fails. If you come from Kuala Lumpur, there is a daily flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport KLIA in Sepang to Tawau and from here to Semporna will take you around one hour journey.

Once you get here, there are many tour operator that will get you into the island or if you prefer to island hopping, you can ask some of the boatman at this area, in front of the Semporna Fish market, where I took this photograph. To make everything easy, I will suggest you make your booking in advance, so you don’t have to waste your precious times looking for the boatman or the tour operator that suit your budget.

Nowadays I think you really need not to worry so much about finding a hotel here, unlike many years ago, now there is plenty of hotel here that you can choose from. During my visit here I stay at Sipadan INN 2 which is located just  a walk away from the Semporna Fish Market, very close to where the photograph above were taken. Most people only spent one night here before spending their night in Mabul Island, especially the photographers, but I believe it is worthwhile  to spend few more days here if time permit.

This area especially around fish market area is not picturesque, is not postcard type of a picture but to my eyes, this place offer plenty of photography opportunity but unfortunately during my visit here, we don’t have much times because we have some other activity or itinerary that we have to stick. If I ever come here again, I will make sure at least I will spent at least two night here and really explore this area before heading into the island. For the picture above, I spent more than half an hour at the same spot just watching the activity there. It was very colorful, busy and lively especially in the early morning when most people from the island nearby came here to buy something or to sell something.

I wish I can share more pictures from this area but like I said before, we don’t have much time exploring this area and to those of you who plan to make a visit here, please do take your time to explore this area especially the fish market area and I believe there is plenty of subject to be photographed and I do suggest if you want to take a picture here, don’t straight away take your camera and take pictures, instead, slow down, just watch the activity here, blend with the environment, talk to some of the people that you met there and once they no longer pay attention to you and once you don’t look like a stranger here, take your picture. That is what I do to get this picture, I let myself blend with the environment first.

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Father and Son | Photograph Taken by My Wife

“My father always told me, “Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

- Jim Fox -

I don’t think I can carry my son like this if he reach twenty years old if God Willing “InsyaAllah”, so I better get the picture first before its too late. My wife took this picture and I’m not someone who can easily get satisfied when someone else took a picture of me, not even my wife, so after each shot taken, I will take a look at the LCD just to make sure “everything was fine”.

I want to make sure that the clock tower is visible behind and I want to make sure that me and my son is sharp, not necessarily pin sharp but sharp enough to recognize my face. I didn’t notice that my son hold a little dinosaur with him, not until I see this picture. I think those little dinosaur makes a perfect “frame” for me and my son.

Sometimes as a photographer we have very little picture of or own, so whenever I go out with my family, I will always make sure that at least I’ve one or two pictures with them together. This photograph was taken at one of Malaysia famous landmark, which is at Independence Square or “Dataran Merdeka” which most Malaysian familiar with. The building behind is Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Sibuan Island | Sabah | Malaysia North Borneo

      “Happiness Consists Not in Having Much, But in Being Content With Little.”

- Marguerite Gardiner -

I think the way I presented my picture will have an affect on the mood that the picture will convey. I guess if I choose to share this picture in colors, it will convey much more happy mood than what you are seeing here, but this is how I view the life around here, living the simple life, maybe by choice or maybe they don’t have any other choice or maybe they do have a choice but prefer to continue living like this. (I need to spent more times with them to get the answer)

Who are we to tell them how to lives, as long as they are happy, nothing else matters. I don’t know whether my title about this post is appropriate or not, I don’t know whether they are truly happy with the life that they choose but with my limited time with them, all I can see is their beautiful smile, especially the children’s, maybe because they are still small and doesn’t know what lies on the other side of the world. Even the younger generation there look quite happy.

For us, this is a paradise, for them, this is just their home. Back in the Kuala Lumpur, if I were to take my children to play with water, I’ve to bring them to a water theme park and pay quite a price to get into there. Here, those Bajau Kids, don’t have to pay a penny just to enjoy the crystal clear blue water. They can play all day, snorkeling all day, and they can play at the beach every day and night.

I’ve to admit that I didn’t take many pictures here, to the photographers this place is a heaven, it is very hard not to get a decent picture here, the water is crystal cleat but during my short visit here, the weather was not that good, slightly overcast, no blue sky on that day.

I took the pictures here, especially the kids with a heavy heart, I wish I could spent more times here, if I have the opportunity to visit here once again, maybe spent few days with them, sleep with them and have lunch or dinner with them together. I want to make friends with them, not just a stranger who came here with a camera for a short visit, take few pictures and say goodbye.

I wish someday, I will come back here with my family, especially my kids while they are still small, to show them that there are more to life than playing with iPhone games, watching DVD and went shopping. I want to show them that we are very fortunate to live the way we lives and I think they are very fortunate also to lives the way they lives. We cannot have everything in life but we can be content with our life and have a choice to make changes where it matters for the better.

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Cameron Highlands | After Editing With Master of Colors Technique

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Cameron Highlands | RAW File Convert to Jpeg | Original Unedit

The photograph above were taken during our family holiday at Cameron Highlands in Pahang, approximately two hours leisurely drive from Kuala Lumpur city centre. It was famous with tea plantations and this one were taken at Bharat Tea Plantations at Tanah Rata.The weather was a little bit overcast, we arrive here somewhere around 07:45 Am in the morning, hoping to catch some beautiful early morning light but were very unfortunate because it was overcast.

I’m sorry about the quite length introduction since the title of this blog post is about editing and not about our journey here, I will get onto that later on. So let’s talk about editing here. For those of you who have been following me for quite awhile knew that most of the times I shoot in RAW and in this case yes I do shoot in RAW. For those who are familiar shooting with RAW will notice that the colors that came out from RAW file is a little bit dull, lack in contrast and flat.

For those of you who don’t like to spent their precious times in front of the computer, editing their picture, I highly suggest you to shoot in Jpeg sRGB, since it will look better than Adobe RGB, and if your exposure is right, no further editing needs to be done but on the other hand if you are like me, like to spent some of your free times playing with Photoshop or like to get the very best from your picture, in term of colors and clarity, I highly recommended you to shoot in RAW and if you have spent few thousand dollars on Semi Pro or Pro Level DSLR, it will make sense to shoot in RAw or at least try to shoot in RAW to fully make full use of your camera capability.

Just to let you know for the above picture I shoot both files simultaneously, meaning that I shoot Jpeg and RAW together and the file size for Jpeg is 6.4 MB and the file size for RAW is 25.1 MB. Did you notice the difference? Do you know why there is huge difference in term of file size between two of them. RAW file contained so much information yet to be fully developed and that’s why those who like to shoot landscape or playing with HDR will shoot in RAW, so that they can pull all the details from their RAW files, but then again you will only be able to see their big difference if you print those picture in big size like 20 x 20 inch and above but if all you want to do is printed them on regular 4R size, you won’t see much difference between those files.

About the editing, you can just play with level and curves to get extra color saturation but somehow if you only use that way, some part of the pictures especially on the face will be too dark or too light. No I did not use dodging and burning technique here to get the result but I use multiple layers and few masking for my editing. I try to do my editing at minimum, you won’t see a very huge difference from the picture above and that’s the idea, to keep it minimum and unlike HDR editing the difference between before and after editing is quite obvious.

There are few ways to get this result but for the picture above I use one of the technique from my “Master of Colors Editing Technique” to get the result. Among the problem people face when they try to boot the colors in landscape that involved face is that, they tend to over saturated the face or the skin tone and look unnatural. To counter this problem, we need to mask certain part of the picture so it will not get affected of less obvious.

Other than adding extra punch to the colors of this picture, I also clone few electric cable above my wife head which I think is a distraction to this pictures, and that’s it. Talking about the editing, the final output largely will depend on you, how far you wanted to edit and if you think the colors is a bit too much, you can always reduce the opacity to your satisfaction. I know that not everyone have a lot of times to spend on their computers but to those who like to fine tune their pictures, editing can be fun.

Whether this picture is edited or not, the story is still there, it os about mother and her sleeping son having a great times at tea plantations. The composition is coming straight from the camera, I just make the picture look a bit more interesting to my eyes by enhancing the colors a bit. You may like or dislike the result but this is how I want o to be presented.

Before I finish this post, if you like to know how I get this result beyond level and curves, you might wanted to check my Photoshop “Master of Colors” eBook from the banner below. Hit the banner and you will get the answer.

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | The Joy Childhood | Taman Botani Perdana | Kuala Lumpur

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”

- Kay Renfield Jamison -

© 2011 Craft and Vision | Beyond Thirds A Photographer’s Introduction to Creative Composition | Andrew S Gibson

“What is composition? Put simply, it’s the way that you arrange the elements of a picture within the frame. The way you do this depends on your intent—the mood or ideas you wish to express with the image.” 

- Andrew S Gibson -

This captivating and inspiring eBook is about taking composition past the so-called rules. It’s a thoughtful, practical book about the way we build our photographs within the constraint of the frame.

Andrew S. Gibson moves past the traditional discussion of thirds by showing how a more holistic approach can turn a conventional rule into a powerful tool. The ebook explores important subjects like the creative use of balance and focal points, insights into how to shape a subject, and using aspect ratio to establish an ideal foundation for making photographs, and so much more! The diagrams and creative exercises will provide you with the ideas and insights you need to compose more engaging photographs. ; Craft And Vision

“Composition is important because you have to get it right when you take the photo. It’s one of the things that separates good photographers from the less skilled, and master photographers from the merely good. Great photographers use composition in skilful and inspired ways to tell their stories. You can wield the magic of Photoshop and Lightroom to do some amazing things—but you can’t use them to fix fundamentally flawed compositions.”

- Andrew S Gibson -

I think those words from Andrew S Gibson are good enough to make you interested getting his eBook, you may have the greatest camera equipment in the world but your camera doesn’t know what will make a great photograph and it was so true that among the X-factor that separated the great photographer and those who just have a great camera is in their composition skills.

This eBook will discuss soma basic principles of composition and why it matters and why they work. Among others is the famous “Rules of Thirds”, and then moving beyond the rules of thirds, about balance and stability, focal point, the power of three, the dynamic images, shapes within frame, filling the frame, space and a little bit of colors when it comes to composition.

This eBook is just a very small investment that you can make today that will make a  huge impact in your photographs. Having great camera is great but it was nothing without  the knowledge in your head because after all, what really matters is your photograph, most people viewing your photograph on the internet or in the printed media, be it in the magazine or newspaper, what really catch their eyes is the photographs and people really don’t bother what type of camera you use as long as your photographs mesmerize or fascinated them and one way to gain people attention is through great compositions.

Get the great eBook about Creative Composition now from Craft And Vision

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | My Son HaiQal and Raphael at Putrajaya Botanical Garden

© 2010 Wazari Wazir | Jal Mahal | Rajasthan | Bersama Pelancong Tempatan di Jal Mahal | Jaipur | Rajasthan India

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Jal Mahal | Jaipur |  Rajasthan India

INDIA bagi sesetangah orang bukanlah sebuah destinasi pelancongan yang masuk dalam senarai mereka, ada yang meletakkan India sebagai destinasi terakhir untuk di kunjungi sekiranya tiada tempat lain ingin dikunjungi. Ada juga yang tak masuk langsung dalam kamus perjalanan hidup mereka. Masing-masing punya cita rasa yang berbeza-beza. Itu adalah lumrah kehidupan, jadi kepada sesiapa yang tidak berminat untuk ke India, ada baiknya anda berhenti membaca di sini kerana tiada sebarang faedah yang boleh anda dapati dengan membaca blog saya ini, hanya membuang masa anda sahaja tetapi kepada yang berhajat untuk ke India, boleh teruskan pembacaan, mudah-mudahan, apa yang saya tulis ini dapat dijadikan sedikit panduan untuk anda memulakan langkah pertama ke sana.

Masa terbaik untuk berkunjung ke India adalah dari bulan November hingga March (20-30 Celsius) di mana keadaan cuaca agak sejuk, selesa untuk berjalan, elakkan bulan Mei hingga Ogos kerana panas, sangat panas. Masa saya pergi dulu bulan Jun dan suhu mencecah lebih 47 darjah celsius, panas membara. Pada bulan Julai  hingga September pun kurang sesuai kerana musim monsoon bermula, kalau banjir nanti susah nak bergerak tapi kalau anda berminat nak shoot masa banjir, nak buat dokumentari bagaimana Monsoon di India boleh datang time ni, “Photo Opportunity” memang banyak tapi kalau nak berjalan memang kurang sesuai.

Sekiranya anda berminat untuk mengembara melaui jalan darat ke Utara India, di sekitar Himalaya, sebagai contoh ke Leh di Ladakh atau sekitar Himachal Pradesh, Zanskar, Sikkim dan Darjeeling maka musim panas amat sesuai, boleh datang ke New Delhi pada bulan Jun hingga Oktober dan teruskan perjalanan anda ke Utara India, cuaca di sini tidak panas seperti di New Delhi kerana terletak di pinggiran Himalaya dan jalan darat dari Manali ke Leh hanya di buka sekitar bulan Jun dan ke atas bila cuaca panas dan salji cair, pasal kalau awal tahun, salji tebal, jalan darat tak boleh dilalui kecuali jalan udara.

Untuk pengetahun semua, India adalah destinasi luara negara yang pertama saya kunjungi atas tujuan peribadi, atas tujuan pengembaraan, sebelum ni banyak juga negara yang pernah saya kunjungi tetapi semua itu adalah atas urusan kerja dan saya tidak perlu khuatir tentang hotel, pengangkutan Visa, dan segala pergerakan saya semasa bertugas kerana segalanya di uruskan oleh Wisma Putra ataupun Agensi yang terlibat dalam urusan tugas ke luar negara.

Trip ke India adalah atas urusan peribadi, pengembaraan bersama rakan-rakan atas perbelanjaan sendiri. Trip ke India ini juga bukan melalui mana-mana travel agensi, segala perjalanan adalah dirancang oleh kami bersama, atas persetujuan bersama. Oleh kerana kami tidak pergi ke India melaui Travel Agensi maka agak banyak persediaan yang perlu kami lakukan.

Perkara pertama yang saya lakukan ialah untuk mendapatkan seberapa banyak maklumat berkaitan dengan India, baik melaui blog-blog pengembaraan mahupun dengan membeli buku yang berkaitan dengan India. Saya memilih untuk membeli buku Lonely Planet bertajuk Rajasthan, Delhi dan Agra kerana destinasi inilah yang akan kami kunjungi di India nanti. Kalau nak pusing seluruh pelusuk India, rasanya seumur hidup pun belum tentu habis, India amat luas.

Maklumat yang saya cari adalah tentang keadaan di sana, di mana hotel yang sesuai untuk saya menginap, di mana stesen keretapi atau stesen bas yang berdekatan dengan hotel, tempat makan dan berapa jauhnya jarak Hotel ke tempat-tempat yang ingin saya kunjungi.

Sebelum saya pergi lebih jauh lagi, perkara pertama yang anda perlu tahu sebagai rakyat Malaysia, kita memerlukan VISA atau Tourist Visa untuk melawat India, VISA ini kepada yang tinggal di Kuala Lumpur boleh buat di INDIA VISA CENTRE yang terletak di belakang bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, bukan bahagian belakang tetapi menghadap laluan yang nak ke Central Market tu, kalau dari simpang empat trafik light di Dataran Merdeka tu menghala ke Central Market atau Bangkok Bank sebelah kiri jalan anda boleh nampak India Visa Centre tu. Anda di kenakan bayaran sebanyak RM168 (Tahun 2010) untuk Visa termasuk cukai perkhidmatan, siap dalam masa dua hari. Hantar hari ni, insyaAllah esok petang dah boleh ambil. Kepada yang baru pertama kali buat Visa, passport anda ditinggalkan di Visa Centre tu dan keesokan harinya bila anda ambil Passport anda balik, Visa India ada di tampal dalam passport anda.

Ada juga yang tanya, apa perlunya VISA kalau kita dah ada Passport? Visa adalah dokumen perjalanan yang di keluarkan oleh negara tertentu kepada kita yang memberi kebenaran untuk kita masuk ke negara mereka atas  tujuan tertentu dan untuk jangkamasa tertentu. Maksudnya, sebelum kita pergi ke negara yang hendak di tuju, yang mana memerlukan VISA, kita perlu mohon dan terpulang pada budi bicara pihak terbabit sama ada untuk membenarkan kita masuk ke negara mereka atau tidak dan perlu juga kita ketahui yang tidak semestinya permohonan kita itu akan di luluskan, dan antara salah satu keperluan untuk mendapatkan VISA ke India ialah kita perlu sertakan juga salinan tiket perjalanan pergi dan balik kita bersama-sama dengan borang VISA tersebut.

VISA ni macam surat kebenaran untuk kita masuk ke negara-negara tertentu, manakala Passport pula adalah dokumen pengenalan diri kita yang bertindak sebagai “Kad Pengenalan Antarabangsa”, jadi orang boleh tahu, siapa kita, dari mana kita datang serta kita warganegara negara mana. Dan perlu diketahui, dengan memiliki “Kad Pengenalan Antarabangsa” ini, tidak bermakna kita boleh masuk ke mana-mana negara di dunia ini sesuka hati, ada negara yang ingin tahu tujuan kita masuk ke sana, dan VISA dikenakan untuk tujuan tersebut. Senang atau susahnya nak dapatkan VISA ini bergantung kepada negara mana yang ingin kita kunjungi dan atas tujuan apa, melancung, perniagaan, belajar dan lain-lain lagi.

Ada juga sesetengah negara yang memerlukan “Invitation Letter” ataupun Surat Jemputan daripada negara terbabit untuk kita masuk ke sana, sama ada surat jemputan dari saudara mara, surat jemputan untuk menghadiri mesyuarat tertentu ataupun apa-apa agenda, jadi kalau nak travel, research amat penting dan untuk ke India, kita tidak perlukan “Invitation Letter”, boleh ambil borang dan mohon terus di India Visa Centre, dan ada juga negara yang nak tengok bajet kita, kalau bajet tak cukup atau sumber kewangan kita tak cukup untuk menampung kos kita di sana sepanjang berada di sana, maka VISA tidak akan diberikan.

Di pendekkan cerita, yang paling penting sekali ialah “Research”, terutama sekali kepada “Independent Traveler” atau mereka yang mengembara secara sendirian atau berkumpulan tanpa bantuan Agensi Pengembaraan atau “Travel Agency”. Ikut travel agency ni mudah, ada duit bayar dan selebihnya mereka uruskan, takde nak pening kepala tapi tak “Adventure-lah”.

Sebagai permulaan, penerbangan ke New Delhi India memakan masa selama lebih kurang lima  jam, penerbangan tanpa henti. Semasa saya ke India bulan June 2010, AirAsia belum lagi mengadakan penerbangan terus ke New Delhi, jadi trip kami ke New Dehi adalah dengan pesawat MAS.

Oleh kerana ini trip yang pertama ke India, dan untuk mengelakkan kami membuang masa mencari teksi atau pengangkutan ke hotel yang kami pilih, maka sebelum saya pergi saya telah berurusan dengan pihak hotel iaitu Vivek Hotel untuk “Pickup” kami dari Airport. Kami sampai malam waktu itu, lebih kurang jam 9PM lebih macam tu.

Kepada yang baru pertama kali hendak ke India, saya cadangkan untuk ambil “PickUp” servise supaya memudahkan perjalanan anda, dan tidak membuang masa, di Airport ini memang ada menyedakan perkhidmatan teksi, pre-paid teksi sebanyak Rs250 atau Rs350 ke Pahar Ganj kawasan di mana kami memilih untuk menginap tetapi mungkin saudara atau saudari akan ditawarkan untuk menginap di hotel pilihan mereka kerana mereka mendapat komisen sekiranya berjaya membawa anda ke tempat mereka. Boleh juga menggunakan perkhidmatan teksi ni tapi beritahu pada mereka bahawa anda telahpun memilih hotel dan suruh mereka bawa terus ke hotel yang anda pilih.

Cuma nak beritahu kos “PickUp” servis lebih mahal dari kos ambil teksi di airport kerana kita terpaksa bayar kos pengangkutan pergi dan balik dari hotel mereka untuk ambil kita tetapi ini akan melancarkan perjalanan anda. Sebaik sahaja kami keluar dari airpor, saya dah nampak nama saya tertulis pada kertas putih yang agak besar di pegang oleh wakil dari hotel terbabit. Mudah perjalanan. Masa saya ke sana dulu, kami menggunakan terminal yang lama, sekarang ni kalau saudara dan saudari pergi, akan tiba di terminal yang baru dan lebih moden  lagi dari yang sebelumnya.

Perjalanan dari airport ke Pahar Ganj, lokasi di mana kami pilih untuk menginap mengambil masa lebih dari 30 minit dan ini bergantung pada keadaan trafik di sana, New Delhi ni memang agak sesak, tak perlu nak terkejar-kejar pun, hayatilah apa yang ada sepanjang perjalanan dan perjalanan anda akan terasa amat singkat. Jangan terkejut dengar bunyi hon di sana sini, ini adalah perkara biasa dan anda perlu membiasakan telinga anda mendengar alunan hon kenderaan sepanjang berada di bumi India.

Kepada yang bertanya kenapa kami memilih Pahar Ganj sebagai lokasi kami menginap, ianya adalah kerana lokasinya terletak berdekatan dengan Stesen Keretapi New Delhi, dari Hotel kami untuk ke stesen keretapi tersebut hanya mengambil masa lebih kurang lima minit atau lebih sikit untuk ke sana. Tak perlu nak naik kenderaan awam atau Auto Rickshaw untuk ke sana, memudahkan pergerakan kami. Kawasan ini juga terdapat banyak bajet hotel dan menjadi pilihan pengembara dari seluruh pelusok dunia. Tak susah nak jumpa “backpackers” di sini. Hotel yang mengenakan caj RM100 dan ke bawah banyak terdapat di sini, dan sepanjang kami berada di sini, ianya agak selamat, cuma sebelah malam, saya tak galakkan anda keluar pasal memang agak gelap kawasan ini tak macam di tengah bandaraya Kuala Lumpur.

Untuk perjalanan secara berkeretapi di India ni, kita boleh beli tiket dari Malaysia secara online, biasanya sebulan awal pun kita dah boleh beli, dan ianya adalah pilihan yang bijak, takut nanti habis tiket keretapi payah pulak nak bergerak. Alternatif lain memang ada seperti bas dan kereta sewa tetapi tak lengkap perjalanan ke India  sebagai seorang pengembara sekiranya kita tidak merasai pengalaman berkeretapi di sana.

Proses nak beli tiket di Stesen Keretapi New Delhi ni memang agak mencabar, tapi oleh kerana telah membuat sedikit kerja rumah dan dengan tips yang saya dapat dari buku Lonely Planet memudahkan perjalanan saya. Sebaik sahaja kita sampai di perkarangan Stesen Keretapi New Delhi, kita akan di hampiri oleh orang yang ingin membantu kita, tanya kita nak pergi mana, nak beli tiket keretapi ke dan akan cuba untuk membawa anda mengikuti mereka untuk mendapatkan tiket keretapi. Mereka akan dapat komisen sekiranya berjaya membawa pelanggan membeli tiket melalui mereka. Untuk “Tourist” ada kuota tiket keretapi dan ada kaunter khas untuk “Tourist” membeli tiket, kita tak perlu beratur panjang seperti warga India yang lain untuk membeli tiket.

Kaunter tiket untuk “Tourist” terdapat di tingkat satu bangunan utama Stesen Keretapi New Delhi, terus cari tingkat satu dan anda akan jumpa papan tanda “International Tourist Bureau” naik tangga dan anda akan sampai ke kaunter tersebut dan sekiranya ada orang beritahu bahawa kaunter tersebut telahpun di tutup, sedang dinaik taraf atau berpindah ke tempat lain, jangan percaya, sebaliknya cari dulu kaunter tersebut sampai jumpa. Mereka ni semua agen jual tiket atau “ulat tiket” sebagaimana yang ada di Malaysia. Di kaunter ini kita boleh beli tiket untuk perjalanan ke seluruh India, sebagai contoh, kalau kita ingin ke Jaipur, kemudian bermalam selama sehari di sana dan esoknya bercadang meneruskan perjalanan ke Jodhpur atau Udaipur, boleh uruskan tiket anda di sini.

Untuk makluman pembaca semua, walaupun anda membeli tiket di stesen ini, tidak bermakna perjalanan anda bermula di sini, sebagai contoh, saya membeli tiket untuk ke Jodhpur di Rajasthan, saya perlu menaiki keretapi dari stesen keretapi yang terletak di Old Delhi, lebih kurang 20 hingga 30 minit dari Stesen Keretapi New Delhi ini. Sebelum anda meninggalkan kaunter tiket ini, tanya orang di kaunter tersebut ataupun periksa tiket anda dan pastikan di mana anda akan berlepas supaya tidak kelam kabut nanti.

© 2010 Wazari Wazir | Northern Railway Station | Old Delhi | India

Di stesen keretapi ini ada terdapat kedai makan, di luar bangunan dan juga terdapat McDonald’s di dalam stesen ini pada waktu kami ke sana (2010). Kalau nak ambil gambar di perkarangan stesen ini pun boleh juga kerana terdapat banyak human interest di sekitar bangunan ini, sambil-sambil menunggu waktu keretapi bergerak. Makanan di luar bangunan ini (bangunanyang sama, hujung, sebelah kanan gambar di atas) boleh tahan juga menunya dan boleh dikategorikan agak bersih, cuma keadaan sekitar sibuk dengan orang ramai. Ruang dalam bangunan agak gelap dan mungkin ada yang rasa kurang selesa, ramai yang tidur di dalam bangunan ini tidak seperti di stesen keretapi KL Sentral di Kuala Lumpur.

Perjalanan kami ke Jodhpur, Rajasthan atau lebih di kenali dengan nama “Blue City” mengambil masa selama 12 jam, dan sepanjang perjalanan ini, keretapi ini akan berhenti di pelbagai stesen untuk mengambil dan menurunkan penumpang. Kami memilih coach berhawa dingin, iaitu 2 Tier dan 3 Tier coach. 2 Tier ni dalam satu ruang ada empat katil, dan 2 katil pada satu ruang, berhadapan antara satu sama lain, manakala yang 3Tier ni adalah 6 katil dalam satu ruang, tiga katil sebelah mengadap 3 katil sebelah lagi. Kalau nak selesa pilih yang 2 Tier ni, ada Aircond dan memang selesa. Memandangkan perjalanan kami sebelah malam, tiada apa sangat yang dapat di lihat di luar jendela kerana keadaan agak gelap. Cuma awal pagi keesokan harinya kalau kita bangun awal pagi barulah kita boleh lihat pelbagai pemandangan menarik sepanjang perjalanan ke Jodhpur.

Untuk pengetahun pembaca semua, kebiasaanya pengembara ke India akan mengambil laluan “Golden Triangle” ataupun “Segitiga Emas” iaitu laluan New Delhi – Jaipur – Agra dan kembali semula ke New Delhi tetapi kami pergi agak jauh dari itu, iaitu laluan ke Jodhpur, melewati Jaipur atau lebih dikenali lagi dengan nama “Pink City” kerana terdapat banyak bangunan berwarna pink di sini. Kepada mereka yang kesuntukan masa dan ingin merasai pengalalam di boleh pilih laluan Segitiga Emas ini, iaitu Delhi – Jaipur dan Agra, lebih singkat berbanding ke Jodhpur.

Di Jodhpur ni, tak susah nak cari bajet hotel. Sebaik sahaja kita keluar sahaja stesen keretapi Jodhpur sebelah kanan pintu keluar dari arah Delhi, di seberang jalan sahaja kita dah boleh nampak hotel-hotel backpackers. Kalau nak walk in pun rasanya bukanah sesuatu perkara yang mustahil. Saya cadangkan untuk anda tinggal di hotel yang berdekatan dengan stesen keretapi ni untuk memudahkan pergerakan anda, lagipun di depan stesen keretapi Jodhpur ni ada terdapat banyak Auto Rickshaw ataupun yang kita panggil “Tuk-Tuk” sedia untuk menawarkan khidmat anda untuk ke mana sahaja.

Di sini kami menginap di Govind Hotel yang terletak berhadapan dengan Pejabat Pos Utama Jodhpur, kami pilih hotel ni berdasarkan recommendation dari buku Lonely Planet, kalau saudara nak cari sendiri pun boleh, banyak bajet hotel sepanjang laluan ini. Kosnya tak mahal, bawah RM100 dan kalau nak selesa lagi boleh dapatkan bilik yang lebih baik. Bilik yang saya pilih hanya ada kipas, agak murah. Kalau aircond mungkin mahal sikit dan bagi seorang backpackers, keselesaan bukanlah perkara utama tetapi semangat untuk merasai pengalaman di negara orang adalah lebih penting, pernah dengar orang kata “Going Out of Your Comfort Zone”. Kalau nak selesa duduk rumah sendiri atau cari hotel lima bintang pilihan pelancong berpoket tebal.

Jodhpur ni juga lebih dikenali dengan nama “Blue City” kerana di salah satu kawasan di Jodhpur ini iaitu tidak jauh dari salah satu tempat pelancongan iaituMehrangarh Fort, di mana terdapat sebuah bandar yang mana kebanyakan dari bangunannya di cat berwarna biru. Kepada sesiapa yang biasa dengan hasil kerja Steve McCurry, pasti nampak gambar-gambar dari Rajasthan yang berlatarbelakangkan bangunan biru dan kebanyakannya adalah di rakam di sini.

Kepada jurufoto yang berminat untuk merakam kehidupan ataupun “human interest” di Blue City ni eloklah kalau tinggal lebih lama di sini. Satu malam memang tak cukup, elaok stay paling kurang 2 malam atau lebih, barulah kita dapat jelajahi tiap pelusuk ruang dan lorong di Blue City ini. Kami cuma tinggal satu malam sahaja di sini dan tak sempat nak merakam kehidupan di Blue City ni, hanya sempat tengok sekali lalu sahaja sewaktu perjalanan kami menuju ke Mehrangarh Fort Mehrangarh Fort

Kepada yang berminat untuk merasai pengalaman “Desert Safari” boleh berurusan dengan pihak hotel, kebanyakan dari mereka ada menyediakan perkhidmatan ini dan biasanya pengembaraan bersama unta di padang pasir Thar mengambil masa selama 2 hingga 3 hari dan kebanyakannya bermula di Jaisalmer. Kami tak sempat untuk merasai pengalaman ini, mungkin di masa akan datang, insyaAllah.

Bercakap tentang makakanan pula, mungkin saudara boleh mencuba “Nasi Briyani Timbang”, kenapa saya namakan Nasi Briyani Timbang? Sebabnya penjual nasi tersebut akan timbang nasi tersebut, di dalam pinggan berserta lauknya sekali. Penjual tersebut menggunakan timbang jenis lama macam logo Barisan Nasional tu. Kedainya kecil sahaja, terletak berhadapan dengan hotel kami, seberang jalan, sebaris dengan kedai-kedai yang menjual pelbagai jenis kain textile. Kalau berminat boleh cuba. Sebuah restoran juga ada di hadapan hotel kami menginap.

Oleh kerana ini adalah trip kami yang pertama di India, maka kami  tidak bercadang untuk tinggal lama di sini, cukup satu malam sahaja dan keesokan harinya kami meneruskan perjalanan ke Jaipur yang lebih dikenali dengan “Pink City” kerana terdapat banyak bangunan berwarna pink di sini. Tiket untuk ke Jaipur ni kami dah beli siap-siap semasa di New Delhi lagi dan dan kami hanya berjalan kaki dari hotel menuju ke stesen keretapi Jodhpur ni sebab jaraknya amat dekat, kurang 500 meter dari hotel untuk ke stesen keretapi.

© 2010 Wazari Wazir | Blue City Terdapat di Bawah Sana | Pemandangan Dari Atas Mehrangarh Fort | Jodhpur Rajasthan

© 2010 Wazari Wazir | Pemandangan Di Luar Stesen Keretapi Jodhpur | Rajasthan India

*Panjang lagi saya nak tulis ni, tentang kos, tentang hotel, tentang perjalanan berkeretapi, tentang Rajasthan, tentang Taj Mahal, keselamatan dan macam-macam lagi. Saya malas nak buat banyak post, so harap bersabar, just “bookmark” saya akan sambung lagi di ruangan ini, InsyaAllah…

© 2011 Wazari Wazir | Mother and Son | Blue Valley | Cameron Highlands

“Epression beats perfection any day of the week, and if you have the most perfect photograph in the universe it’s a zero if you have no expression from your subjects.”

- Bambi Cantrell -

When it comes to portrait photography, I’ve to agree with Bambi Cantrell quote above “Expression Beats Perfection”. If you are familiar with portrait photography, more or less the pose is almost the same but what makes each portrait differ from one another is the expression from the subjects, whether they are smiling, laughing, serious or  sad looking face. There is so much we can say about the person just by looking at his/her expressions.

Sometimes as a photographer, we are too concern to take a perfect photograph and tend to forget what’s really important, the moment or the expression when it comes to portrait photography. The reason I share the photograph above is that, I like the moment and I like the expression from both of them, a mother having a great time with her son. There is nothing much in the background to add into the context of the story here. Just an empty road with thick mist in the background, where my wife holding my son standing on the side of the road, doing nothing but just having a great time together.

If you are familiar with World Press Photo Competition and take your time going through the winning photographs especially when it involved people photography, you will notice that among the great photograph that have win the competition is the photograph of a person with such a great emotional expression. Take a look at the winner of the World Press Photo of the Year 2004 where a women mourning a relative killed in the Asian tsunami which was taken in Tamil Nadu India. It is just a simple photograph with a simple composition but the expression from the women is extraordinary, you can almost feels her pain and losses and I’ve to tell you this.

The winning picture is far from beautiful but nevertheless it is such a very powerful photograph and if you take your time to go through all of the winning World Press Photo in the past, you might found that some of them are blurred, lacking in technical perfection, badly composed but they catch the eyes of the judged because the “expression always beats perfection.”

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